Dark Alley Media Challenges Traditional Religious Scripture in PASSIO

NEW YORK, (PRNewswire) — Dark Alley Media, a New York-based gay adult entertainment studio, is preparing to premiere Passio, director Matthias von Fistenberg’s artistic interpretation of religious themes and stories.

“Passio depicts a selection of incidents from the life of Jesus,” said von Fistenberg. “The Latin word ‘passio’ means ’suffering,’ and commonly it’s translated into English as ‘gospel.’ The original Passio texts tell the story of Jesus according to his Disciples — one of them being Matthias. Since my name is also Matthias, this movie is a gospel — a Passio. A version of the story according to me.”

At a time when the Pope calls gays “satanic,” and the Anglican Church tears itself apart over gays and lesbians, von Fistenberg decided to shed a different light on the subject as many filmmakers have done before.

“The Last Temptation of Christ explored the humanistic aspect. Mel Gibson proved in Passion of the Christ that the naked body, whether suffering or not, is sexually attractive. Priest showed a gay priest lusting after Christ on the Crucifix. All of these are a prelude to my Passio,” said von Fistenberg. “I just took it one step further: if Jesus has feelings, needs and wants aside from the ones God supplied him, why can’t he also lust?”

Passio also re-creates the director’s interpretation of notable artworks, such as The Last Supper and Flagellatio — both familiar to those with religious leanings or not.

“From Michelangelo to Mantegna, Piero Della Francesca to Paul Gauguin, images of Jesus Christ have offended, delighted, outraged, and inspired the devout,” the director said. “For each controversial image, the sacred and profane become intermixed in new ways, challenging viewers to rethink their own image of history, of religion, of spirituality, and of sexuality.”

“This [Passio] is the Gospel revisited by a modern artist,” said von Fistenberg. “Or, as some wish, merely a pornographer, acquainted with the body language of the underworld.”

Dark Alley Media is no stranger to challenging convention through adult entertainment. Earlier this year, the studio produced Gaytanamo, a parody of the U.S. administration’s questionable policies in dealing with prisoners of war and suspects. In early 2008, the studio will produce Gaytanamo’s follow-up, Gay Bomb, based upon the authentic name of non-lethal chemical
warfare that was proposed for use in Iraq.

Passio the movie, features: Danny Fox, Adam Faust, Hank Dutch, Dimitri Santiago, Brock Hatcher, Jon Matthews, Demetrius, and Rick.

For more information, go to PassioTheMovie.com.

Source: Dark Alley Media