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MommyManon Praline
Six years after her bottom surgery, Manon Praline shares a moving testimony of the challenges and joys she encountered on that journey. Her story is complemented with beautiful imagery shot by artist Eva Wu in the dramatic landscape of the North American Southwest, and scored by Pride Month Barbie’s musical sensation Josephine Shetty. This experimental documentary short is a sequel to the trio’s debut film Baby (2018) which has been shown at almost 40 film festivals throughout Europe and North America and received many praises. Like honey on the tongue of a sweet tooth, Mommy pours pure honesty and vulnerability into the viewer’s eyes, ears, and hearts.
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When making a film about something so personal, there must be a huge amount of trust between you and your collaborators. How would you describe your collaboration with your co-director/DP Evie Snax and composer Josephine Shetty?
I was looking for the right collaborator(s) to make this film for over a year and when we talked with Evie it felt right. For the preparation and on set, Evie has been extremely patient and supported me through all I needed to try out. She provided a frame onto which I could lean. It was challenging for me to open up to suggestions and let go of control. That didn’t make her work easier. When it came to editing it was more complicated as we live on different continents.
I was looking for the right collaborator(s) to make this film for over a year and when we talked with Evie it felt right. For the preparation and on set, Evie has been extremely patient and supported me through all I needed to try out. She provided a frame onto which I could lean. It was challenging for me to open up to suggestions and let go of control. That didn’t make her work easier. When it came to editing it was more complicated as we live on different continents.
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The hardest part for me was the text. I wouldn’t have accessed what I wrote without Evie’s support, she pushed me towards something we both wanted. I typed drafts and she added comments. I remember “resentfull” came up a lot in the comments. That feedback helped me focus on what was within me and to access a place of love, to talk from the heart. I also reached out to transfem friends for support.
For the music we sent a rough cut to Josephine and gave her carte blanche. We were both really happy with the score she came up with and had very little feedback to give her. |
You have stated that the short is a sequel to your previous film Baby. Can you discuss how this film continues the story/conversation from the previous, and is a third installment planned?
After shooting Baby and witnessing the success of the film, I badly wanted to make a second one. But I didn’t know what it could look like.
Both films are portraits of me in different places where I’ve been in my life and different places on the transfem spectrum. Lots of trans people make transition timelines, maybe it’s what we did unconsciously?
After shooting Baby and witnessing the success of the film, I badly wanted to make a second one. But I didn’t know what it could look like.
Both films are portraits of me in different places where I’ve been in my life and different places on the transfem spectrum. Lots of trans people make transition timelines, maybe it’s what we did unconsciously?
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We shot Baby two months before my surgery, while I was at the beginning of my journey as an adult performer. Not knowing where that would take me, I was hungry for new experiences. In Mommy I feel I have arrived somewhere and I speak with the intention to give back.
I am curious how Evie would reply to that. There will be no third, when we released Mommy, I announced it was marking the closure of my time in the adult industry. |
Did you have any particular inspirations/influences in mind when making the film, cinematic or otherwise?
We constructed the cinematography of Mommy based on the structure of Baby. Also the landscapes were a major source of inspiration for both films.
We constructed the cinematography of Mommy based on the structure of Baby. Also the landscapes were a major source of inspiration for both films.
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The desire to make a film about surgery came from my involvement in transfem only spaces. Being in exchange with folks who’ve had surgery before me was the most important support I’ve received during my decision making process, and I wanted to share what I experienced along the way. I used to give workshops around bottom surgery where peers could see how a result might look like. The workshops were each time very intimate and deeply moving, and I felt like I wanted to have something on film, something that lasts forever. Also, as an adult filmmaker who is trans, I always wanted to show trans pleasure without it being about being trans. But at some point I felt a need to make films that would be more focused on being transfem. When the idea of this film occurred to me at first, I was looking to have a transfem crew only.
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The film contains several explicit scenes that boldly celebrate your bottom surgery. Did you intend to include these moments from the start of the collaboration on this documentary, or did the decision come about during the making of the film?
As a porn performer who is trans, I felt it was my role to produce an explicit documentary about bottom surgery. It was very important to me that my peers could see, it would make it more real and casual, it was my legacy to trans empowerment. The whole idea of the film was based around the masturbation scene. |
During the editing process, Evie suggested cutting the explicit off. Back then I didn’t understand why she even thought of that, it didn’t make any sense to me as this was everything the film was supposed to be about. I was down for making two separate versions but we didn’t have the stamina for that.
Today I don't feel comfortable attending screenings because it feels too private and it became almost awkward for me to watch the film with other people. I am glad the film is widely screened but I can also see how intimate and personal doesn’t have to include nudity or sex and I think if I would do it again I would do it completely differently.
Today I don't feel comfortable attending screenings because it feels too private and it became almost awkward for me to watch the film with other people. I am glad the film is widely screened but I can also see how intimate and personal doesn’t have to include nudity or sex and I think if I would do it again I would do it completely differently.
The film captures you in some beautiful settings including at a sandy beach, in water, covered in paint as well as surrounded by ladybirds. Can you elaborate on how and why these elements were chosen?
We were driving from New-York to San-Francisco and we used the elements we found on the way. The first location is a dead volcano in New-Mexico, where Evie grew up. She really wanted to include that location. The second one, with the sand, isn’t a beach, it’s in the desert in Utah. We filmed on the side of the interstate road. The last location is in California, we wanted water to contrast the dryness of the other places.
On the filming day, there were millions of ladybirds, it was unexpected and we felt it was a gift we had to include in the film.
The paint is actually colored lube. We were looking for an idea to match the red oil scene at the end of Baby and a friend of Evie thought of this option. We decided to give it a try and ended up having fun with it.
We were very inspired by nature (like Baby was inspired by the industrial landscape). At some point I even thought of including images in France, where I have a deep connection with nature, but it was not realistic.
We were driving from New-York to San-Francisco and we used the elements we found on the way. The first location is a dead volcano in New-Mexico, where Evie grew up. She really wanted to include that location. The second one, with the sand, isn’t a beach, it’s in the desert in Utah. We filmed on the side of the interstate road. The last location is in California, we wanted water to contrast the dryness of the other places.
On the filming day, there were millions of ladybirds, it was unexpected and we felt it was a gift we had to include in the film.
The paint is actually colored lube. We were looking for an idea to match the red oil scene at the end of Baby and a friend of Evie thought of this option. We decided to give it a try and ended up having fun with it.
We were very inspired by nature (like Baby was inspired by the industrial landscape). At some point I even thought of including images in France, where I have a deep connection with nature, but it was not realistic.
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Since 2017, Manon Praline’s works have screened at festivals. 2019 she directed her first short "My Garage My Rules" and launched Praline Studio in 2021.
Visionary artist Evie Snax (eva-wu.com) works with moving image, installation, and new media. She co-created Hot Bits Collective and teaches at Haverford College. |
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