Page 60 - AVN June 2019

real sex that looks and feels good.
The general response, especially
from the female performers, when I
tell them not to perform, not to fake
their orgasms, not to make these
loud, repetitive moaning noises—but
instead to make out and stay clothed
for as long as their ‘characters’
would—there is this look of shock
and then relief. ‘Wait, I get to actually
just have sex and truly enjoy it?’ I
don’t want to speak for all women
because female sexuality is diverse
and nuanced, but for many women
it’s about the truth as it exists in the
moment that’s hot. The staying in
character.”
Once the Bellesa Films scenes
debut (Shnaidman is “looking at a Q2
launch”), fans can opt for a Bellesa
Premium subscription to get many
extras, including access to more
content—both videos and literary
erotica—and perks in Bellesa’s online
store.
But really, Shnaidman asserted,
“You’re subscribing to a community.”
Though the community is designed
for women, it’s not surprising that a
site with porn also draws men. “We
have mostly women, but then we
have couples that use the website a
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lot, and that’s something I really love.
I think that’s beautiful And then we
have some men—whether they want
high-quality content that feels ethical
or if they’re just curious about what
women are watching, that’s OK too.”
But most of all, Bellesa community
members “want to see real stuff,
where there’s high tension and high
risk in a scene. More than that we are
also building into our scenes societal
messages—things like consent.”
Director St. James talked about the
artistry in depicting consent. “Bellesa
is big on moments. Sometimes that
moment is nails down a back, but
sometimes it’s just a look, a breath, a
shift. What’s sexy isn’t just the sex—
it’s everything leading up to it. It’s
everything that makes it true; it’s the
stakes of the encounter. And, most
importantly to me, it’s sex between
two consenting adults. Porn has
gotten very lax about non-consensual
sex being glorified or done for shock
value and clicks, but as a woman, I
can’t get behind content where the
women aren’t a) enjoying it b) fully
consenting. Fear on a woman’s face
isn’t sexy to me and I don’t think it’s
something we, as a business, should
glorify. That’s just my opinion. But lust,
desire, and need—that’s sexy. That’s
what we should be giving our female
audiences.”
Since Bellesa is a site aimed at
women, it’s not surprising that just
as much emphasis is placed on
literary erotica, articles about sex and
Bellesa’s online store.
The Erotic Stories section has its
own Twitter feed (@BellesaStories),
and Jayne Renault—its editor, writer
and curator—was Bellesa’s first hire.
“She has built a community there as
well. There are not that many outlets
for erotica,” Shnaidman said.
As with the videos, there are free
stories on the site. “We are also now
working with some really amazing
storytellers and we’re selling those as
little novellas on the store,” she said,
noting the e-books retail for under five
dollars.
Renault told AVN, “I feel that our
collection is as much about building
community as it is empowering the
individual. It’s what attracts the kinds
of people who have ultimately become
our family of writers. Because that’s
what we are—a family. We cheer on
each other’s successes, in writing
endeavors and life at large. The group
is brimming with mutual love and