Fantasia Fest 2020 review: ‘Morgana’ is a moving look at the 50+ feminist porn star

The first virtual edition of Montreal’s Fantasia Film Festival is just around the corner! In the coming days, we’ll be presenting capsule reviews of a number of films screening at the festival, filmmaker interviews, and much more. All of our 2020 Fantasia coverage can be found here. For the full schedule and tickets, head to the Fantasia screening site. 

Directed by Isabel Peppard and Josie Hess, Morgana is a moving documentary following Morgana Muses, an Australian woman who unexpectedly became a feminist porn icon at 50-years-old.

Trapped in an unfulfilling marriage, Morgana falls into a deep depression and plans on ending her life after a planned session with a male escort. Instead, with her sexuality and lust for life awakened following their meeting, she decides to document the encounter with what turns into an award-winning pornographic film, launching a whole new career as a porn performer and producer, and a new life path as she moves from her restrictive life in Melbourne to the anything-goes world of Berlin.

Morgana is an inspiring look at embracing one’s sexuality and emotional well-being, regardless of your age or social standing. Morgana’s films and her body and sex-positive message have clearly laid the foundation for others to follow their own path in an industry that’s often been exploitative or outright abusive to women, but the film doesn’t shy away from Morgana’s often-crippling issues with depression and self-worth, which don’t simply vanish with success.

While the notion of an unassuming middle-aged woman launching a porn career may seem shocking to some, Morgana is an engrossing and often emotional look at how proper representation and a healthy view of sexuality can literally save lives.

Morgana is available to screen on-demand throughout the virtual edition of this year’s Fantasia Festival, from August 20 – September 2nd. Tickets are available here.