{{Short description|French pornographic actress, director, author and sex educator}} {{Infobox adult biography | name = Ovidie | image = Ovidie 2014.jpg | caption = Ovidie in 2014 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|8|25|df=y}}<ref name="Ovidie IAFD">{{cite web|url=http://www.iafd.com/person.rme/perfid=Ovidie/gender=female|title=Ovidie|access-date=8 May 2014}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://www.ovidie.net/index.php/biographie|title=Ovidie Officiel - Histoire d'Ovidie|publisher=Ovidie.net|access-date=2013-03-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130110080424/http://www.ovidie.net/index.php/biographie|archive-date=2013-01-10|url-status=dead}}</ref> | birth_place = [[Lille]], [[France]]<ref name="Ovidie IAFD" /> | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = | height = {{height|ft=5|in=9.25}} | alias = <!-- | number_of_films = 26 as a performer & 15 as a director (per [[IAFD]]) --> | website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20151120041521/http://www.metronews.fr/blog/ovidie/ http://www.metronews.fr/blog/ovidie/] }}
'''Ovidie''' is a French [[Film director|director]],<ref name="Ovidie IAFD" /> actress, producer, journalist, former [[Pornographic film actor|porn actress]] and a writer.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> First known as a porn actress from 1999 to 2003, she has since directed [[pornographic films]] as well as [[documentaries]] and has written several books.<ref name=autogenerated1 />
==Overview== Ovidie refused to give her real name to the press.<ref name="story">{{cite journal | url = http://www.pornomanifesto.com/presse_general/anglais/029.htm | title = The Story of O | journal = The Times Magazine | last = Hussey | first = Andrew | date = 18 January 2003 | pages = 34–38 | access-date = 30 January 2017 | url-status = dead | archive-date = 24 February 2004 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040224195717/http://www.pornomanifesto.com/presse_general/anglais/029.htm }}</ref> Her parents are liberals from "a good family background" who were teachers in 2003.<ref name="story"/> She was married; her husband left a teaching position at the [[University of Paris]] to edit a pornographic magazine.<ref name="story"/> They later divorced, but her job was not a factor in the divorce.<ref name="ikonen">{{cite interview|last=Ovidie|interviewer=Martin Kreischer|title=Beyond the Porno-Manifesto|url=http://www.ikonen-magazin.de/interview/Ovidie.htm|access-date=2011-03-19|work=Ikonen|date=January 2005|archive-date=2011-07-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719043538/http://www.ikonen-magazin.de/interview/Ovidie.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Ovidie has denied entering the [[pornography]] industry for either sex or money, describing herself as middle class.<ref name="manifesto-guardian">{{Cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/apr/12/artsfeatures | title = My Porn Manifesto | newspaper = The Guardian | publisher = Guardian News and Media | date = 2002-04-12 | page = 11 | access-date = 2011-03-19 }}</ref> Her involvement in [[dance]] and [[choreography]], and her interest in expression of the human body, played a part in attracting her to the industry.<ref name="manifesto-guardian"/>
At the time she became a pornographic actress, she described herself as a "[[radical feminist|very active militant feminist]]".<ref name="manifesto-guardian"/> She first viewed pornography to get a sense of the injustice that was being perpetrated on female industry workers. She found herself surprised when female porn stars, who she once felt sorry for, impressed her with their powerful sexual images. Wanting to attain this same kind of sexual strength, which seemed compatible with feminist ideals, she began acting in pornographic films.<ref name="manifesto-guardian"/> She told ''The Times Magazine'' "I am interested in these sort of experiences not just because I am perverse, which as you have seen I can be when I want to be. No, it's because not everyone can achieve them."<ref name="story"/>
During her active career as pornographic performer, she rarely did [[anal sex]] scenes, and she required her partners to use a [[condom]] in every role except her first.<ref name="ikonen" />
Ovidie was an active porn performer until 2003, when she was featured in the porn/mainstream crossover film ''[[All About Anna]]''.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> She has also been active as a porn director, both during her years as a performer and afterward. After only one year of performing, her first film as a director, ''Orgie en Noir'' (2000), was produced by [[Marc Dorcel]]. Since then, she has directed a number of women-friendly videos for Marc Dorcel, Blue One, VCommunications, and Canal +. She is considered as a specialist of porn made by women, for women.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aufeminin.com/desir-sexuel/femme-et-porno-films-pornographiques-pour-femmes-d14614c231910.html|title=Interview Ovidie, - Femme et porno, film pornographique, films pornographiques|publisher=aufeminin|date=2010-09-26|access-date=2013-03-30|archive-date=2013-08-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130830043416/http://www.aufeminin.com/desir-sexuel/femme-et-porno-films-pornographiques-pour-femmes-d14614c231910.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Until 2005, she owned a [[sex shop]] that catered to women only.<ref name="ikonen" /> In May 2008, she started directing videos for the sex education channel FrenchLover TV.<ref name=autogenerated1 /><ref>{{cite web|title=French Lovers TV Provides Adult Entertainment Fun, Minus The Taboo|work=Celebrity News Service/All Headline News|access-date=2009-08-28|date=2009-01-09|url=http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7013658128|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091217010409/http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7013658128|archive-date=2009-12-17|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{As of|2011|03|12}}, she was FrenchLover TV's Program Director.<ref name=autogenerated1 /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wmaker.net/editoweb/Info-Sante_a24292.html|title=Info Sante|trans-title=Health Info|work=EditoWeb MagaZine|date=2011-03-12|publisher=Editoweb Marketing|access-date=2011-03-19|language=fr}}</ref> She also used to host a weekly talk show on the channel.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://teleobs.nouvelobs.com/articles/french-lover-tv-le-coup-d-envoi |title = French lover TV: le coup d'envoi |trans-title = French lover TV: kickoff |language = fr |work = TéléObs.com |publisher = Le Nouvel Observateur |date = 2009-10-13 |access-date = 2011-03-19 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110727090319/http://teleobs.nouvelobs.com/articles/french-lover-tv-le-coup-d-envoi |archive-date = 2011-07-27 |url-status = dead }}</ref>
She left the company FrechLover TV in October 2015 to focus on her career as a journalist.<ref>https://fr.linkedin.com/pub/ovidie-r/31/863/371 {{Self-published source|date=June 2022}}</ref> She has worked for [[Radio France]], [[Council of the European Union]], [[France 2]], and [[Canal+ (French TV channel)|Canal +]]. She has also been a columnist for French newspaper [[Metronews]] since December 2012.
In 2002, she published her first book, ''Porno Manifesto'',<ref name=autogenerated1 /> which she said she wrote because she was angry about the ignorance about pornography.<ref name="ikonen"/> She wrote 11 books, most of them about female sexuality (''Osez découvrir le point G'', ''La sexualité féminine de A à Z''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lamusardine.com/editions-la-musardine/Osez/la-musardine/ovidie/9019-la-sexualite-de-a-a-z.html|title=Livre - LA SEXUALITE DE A A Z | Ovidie|publisher=La Musardine|access-date=2013-03-30}}</ref>...), but also about pregnancy (''Osez l'amour durant la grossesse''), philosophy (''Sexe Philo''),<ref name="editions-breal.fr">{{cite book|url=http://www.editions-breal.fr/fiche-sexe-philo-5129.html|title=Sexe & philo- livrePhilosophie|publisher=Editions-breal.fr|access-date=2013-03-30|archive-date=2012-06-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120619193248/http://www.editions-breal.fr/fiche-sexe-philo-5129.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Punk Rock (''Metal Urbain : a good hippie is a dead one''). She said that she only studied philosophy so that she could understand porn; her 2012 book ''Sexe Philo'' was written in collaboration with philosophy Ph.D. Francis Métivier [[:fr:Francis Métivier|(fr)]].
[[File:Francis Métivier 2.jpeg|thumb|110px|Francis Métivier]]
In 2006, she started writing and directing political documentaries. In November 2011, her movie ''Rhabillage'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://envoye-special.france2.fr/les-reportages-en-video/carte-blanche-a-ovidie-le-rhabillage-24-novembre-2011-3950.html|title=Envoyé spécial: tout sur l'émission, news et vidéos en replay - France2|language=fr|publisher=Envoye-special.france2.fr|access-date=2013-03-30|archive-date=2011-11-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117031617/http://envoye-special.france2.fr/les-reportages-en-video/carte-blanche-a-ovidie-le-rhabillage-24-novembre-2011-3950.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> produced by French director [[Jean-Jacques Beineix]],<ref name=autogenerated1 /> was aired on French national television [[France 2]] with 6 million viewers.<ref>{{cite news|author=Toutelatele.com|url=http://www.toutelatele.com/article.php3?id_article=36729|title=Ovidie, ex-star du porno, fait grimper l'audience d'Envoyé spécial - News TV| newspaper=Toutelatele |publisher=Toutelatele.com|access-date=2013-03-30}}</ref> In 2015 she directed ''À quoi rêvent les jeunes filles ?'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lesinrocks.com/inrocks.tv/a-quoi-revent-les-jeunes-filles-le-documentaire-dovidie-sur-les-femmes-qui-ont-grandi-avec-internet-et-leur-rapport-au-sexe/|title="À quoi rêvent les jeunes filles ?" le documentaire d'Ovidie sur les femmes qui ont grandi avec Internet et leur rapport au sexe - Les Inrocks|author=Marie Turcan|work=Les Inrocks|access-date=2015-09-10|archive-date=2016-10-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021033731/http://www.lesinrocks.com/inrocks.tv/a-quoi-revent-les-jeunes-filles-le-documentaire-dovidie-sur-les-femmes-qui-ont-grandi-avec-internet-et-leur-rapport-au-sexe/|url-status=dead}}</ref> a documentary about the sexuality of millennials aired on France 2. Her 2018 documentary ''Là où les putains n'existent pas'' deals with the case of the murdered Swedish prostitute and activist [[Eva Marree Kullander Smith]].
Ovidie is a devout [[vegan]] and a campaigner for [[animal rights]].<ref name="story"/>
==Filmography== Ovidie has appeared in mainstream movies, such as ''[[Mortel Transfert]]'' (2001) by Jean-Jacques Beineix<ref name=autogenerated1 /> and ''[[Le Pornographe]]'' (''The Pornographer,'' 2001) by [[Bertrand Bonello]].<ref name="story"/><ref name="ikonen"/> In the latter film, she performs an [[Unsimulated sex in film|unsimulated sex scene]].
She also appears in the 2005 [[Denmark|Danish]] film ''[[All About Anna]]'', produced by [[Lars von Trier]]'s<ref name=autogenerated1 /> [[Zentropa]], where she performed explicit and unsimulated [[cunnilingus|oral sex]] on mainstream actress/singer [[Gry Bay]]; in a twist typical of Zentropa films, she is the only porn star in the film's cast, yet stands out as she does not appear nude in the film (only Gry Bay is undressed during their [[sex in film|sex scene]]).
She also starred in the 2007 [[Jean Rollin]] film ''[[La nuit des horloges]]'', and in 2014 she appeared in ''[[Saint-Amour (film)|Saint-Amour]]'', directed by [[Benoît Delépine]] and [[Gustave Kervern]], with [[Benoît Poelvoorde]] and [[Gérard Depardieu]].
Ovidie directed the 2017 documentary [https://javafilms.fr/film/pornocracy-the-new-sex-multinationals/ "Pornocracy: The New Sex Multinationals"], about the transformation of the adult film industry into an oligopoly.
==Music== {{BLP unsourced section|date=March 2011}} Ovidie has also been active in musical circles, organizing underground concerts within [[France]] for [[Martial industrial|martial]] musicians such as [[Dernière Volonté]], Position Parallèle, and others. In 2006, she directed 8 music videos for French electro punk band [[Metal Urbain]]. In 2009, Ovidie directed and performed in a [[music video]] by the German [[electronic rock]]/[[glam rock]] band The World Domination.
In 2012, she wrote, with French punk rocker Eric Debris, ''Metal Urbain: a good hippie is a dead one'' which has a preface by American punk rocker [[Jello Biafra]].
==Titles and awards== During five years in the porn business, Ovidie appeared in more than 60 movies{{citation needed|date=May 2014}} and received seven awards: * Bruxelles 2001{{citation needed|date=May 2014}} * 2001 [[Hot d'Or]] Award - Hot d'Or d'honneur and Best Original Screenplay (''Orgie en noir'' - writer)<ref name="hot-dor2">{{cite web|url=http://hot-dor.fr/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=2&Itemid=4|title=Hot d'Or archives presse x, articles sur les Hot d'or|publisher=Hot-dor.fr|access-date=2014-05-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316035017/http://hot-dor.fr/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=2&Itemid=4|archive-date=2014-03-16|url-status=dead}}</ref> * Bruxelles 2002{{citation needed|date=May 2014}} * 2002 [[Ninfa Award]] - Best Actress (Public)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ficeb.com/english/premiados_2002.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609031435/http://www.ficeb.com/english/premiados_2002.htm|title=FICEB 2002 Awards|url-status=usurped|archive-date=9 June 2007}}</ref> * Bruxelles 2003{{citation needed|date=May 2014}} * 2004 [[Brussels International Festival of Eroticism|European X Award]] nominee - Best Actress (France)<ref>{{cite web|title=Festival De L'Erotisme und European-X-Awards 2004|publisher=German-Adult-News.com|url=http://www.german-adult-news.com/erotik/artikel/669-festival-de-lerotisme-und-european-x-awards-2004.html|date=2004-03-10|access-date=2010-02-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310122331/http://www.german-adult-news.com/erotik/artikel/669-festival-de-lerotisme-und-european-x-awards-2004.html|archive-date=10 March 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> * 2009 Hot d'Or Honorary Award<ref name="hot-dor2" /><ref name=hot09win>{{cite web|author=Paul Fishbein|title=Pirates II, Evil Angel Big Winners at 2009 Hot d'Or Awards|work=AVN|url=http://business.avn.com/articles/36568.html|date=2009-10-21|access-date=2009-10-21|archive-date=2009-10-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091025142729/http://business.avn.com/articles/36568.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> * 2013 [[Feminist Porn Award]] - Movie of the Year * 2014 [[Feminist Porn Award]] - Best Director
==Bibliography== * {{Cite book | title = Porno Manifesto | author = Ovidie | author-mask = 3 | publisher = Flammarion | year = 2002 | isbn = 978-2-08-068344-1 | location = Paris | language = fr }} * {{Cite book | title = In Sex We Trust: Backstage | author = Ovidie | author-mask = 3 | others = Photographs by Hugo | publisher = La Musardine | location = Paris | year = 2004 | language = fr | isbn = 978-2-84271-202-0 }} * {{Cite book | title = Osez… tourner votre film X |trans-title=Dare to turn your movie… X | author = Ovidie | author-mask = 3 | publisher = La Musardine | location = Paris | year = 2006 | language = fr | isbn = 978-2-84271-282-2 }} * {{Cite book | title = Osez découvrir le point G |trans-title=Dare to discover the G spot | author = Ovidie | author-mask = 3 | publisher = Le Grand Livre du Mois | year = 2007 | isbn = 978-2-286-03040-7 | language = fr }} * {{Cite book | title = Osez l'amour pendant la grossesse | trans-title = Dare to love during pregnancy | author = Ovidie | author-mask = 3 | publisher = La Musardine | year = 2007 | isbn = 978-2-84271-298-3 | language = fr | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/osezlamourpendan0000ovid }} * {{Cite book | title = Osez les sextoys |trans-title=Dare Sex Toys | author = Ovidie | author-mask = 3 | publisher = La Musardine | year = 2008 | isbn = 978-2-84271-275-4 | language = fr }} * {{Cite book | title = La sexualité féminine de A à Z |trans-title=Female sexuality: A to Z | author = Ovidie | author-mask = 3 | year = 2010 | publisher = La Musardine | isbn = 978-2-84271-446-8 | language = fr }} * {{Cite book | title = Sexe Philo |trans-title=Sex Philo | author = Ovidie and Francis Métivier | author-mask = 3 | year = 2012 | isbn = 978-2-7495-3103-8 | publisher = Editions Bréal | language = fr }} * {{Cite book | title = Metal Urbain : un bon hippie est un hippie mort |trans-title=Metal Urbain : a good hippie is a dead one | author = Ovidie | author-mask = 3 | date = Sep 2012 | publisher = Camion Blanc | language = fr }}
* {{Cite book | title = Histoires inavouables | author = Ovidie and Jéröme D'Aviau | author-mask = 3 | year = 2013 | publisher = Editions Delcourt | language = fr }}
* {{Cite book | title = Osez être une maman sexy | author = Ovidie | author-mask = 3 | year = 2016 | publisher = Editions La Musardine | language = fr }}
* {{Cite book | title = Libres ! Manifeste pour s'affranchir des diktats sexuels | author = Ovidie | author-mask = 3 | year = 2017 | publisher = Éditions Delcourt | language = fr }}
* {{Cite book | title = Assise, debout, couchée ! | author = Ovidie | author-mask = 3 | year = 2024 | publisher = Editions J.-C. Lattès | language = fr }}
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0653994|Ovidie}} * {{iafd name|id=Ovidie|gender=female|name=Ovidie}} * {{Egafd name|o0013|Ovidie}} * {{afdb name|25446|Ovidie}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1980 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:French pornographic film actresses]] [[Category:French pornographic film directors]] [[Category:French pornographic film producers]] [[Category:French feminists]] [[Category:French journalists]] [[Category:Sex educators]] [[Category:Sex-positive feminists]] [[Category:Women pornographic film directors]]