Dicks That I Like
Visual artist Daniela Torres creates colorful ceramic dick sculptures inspired by the men who have been dicks to her. It’s a hands-on approach to healing that yields beautiful results.
Interview with Director Johanna Gustin
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I came across Daniela Torres, the protagonist of Dicks That I Like on Instagram. Her Berlin “dick sculpting workshops” were quickly becoming infamous in immigrant/expat circles, and I reached out to her about the possibility of documenting them. I was immediately intrigued by Daniela’s work. Both her photography and ceramic work show an intuitive understanding of the female gaze, and I was curious to know the artist who was building a career in displaying men’s bodies both as beauty objects and as sources of trauma. Her work touches on a lot of topics I had written on academically and we quickly bonded over shared interests and experiences.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Whether you like dicks or hate them, I'm pretty sure you will enjoy our short. It investigates some pretty timely topics, particularly reckoning with your own past in unique and expressive ways as well as creating spaces for healing and consciousness-raising. For me, the power of Daniela's work is how she creates something beautiful for herself and others out of bad experiences.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Our film starts with a lump of clay and ends with the most beautiful ceramic dick sculptures you've ever seen. So, there is certainly a theme of creating something beautiful out of pain and anger. I'm also very interested in the female gaze and how female artists see and portray the male body; I think that comes through in many of the scenes.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
We filmed several workshops with Daniela and were planning to cut between them, but ultimately decided to focus on one specific day with only female participants. There was just a particularly open and intimate atmosphere that day. As with a lot of documentaries, the film really came together in the edit. We thought a lot about what to include and how explicit to be with the things that have happened to Daniela. In the end, we decided that being less explicit would give the audience more space to identify with her and reflect on their own stories and experiences.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It has been really interesting to show the film at festivals in the US and Europe and see the reactions from different demographics. We've gotten a lot of great feedback from people who feel seen by the film.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It's interesting to see that especially men and older viewers sometimes struggle with the fact that the film never goes into detail about Daniela's experiences with men. Mostly though those questions only confirm our decision to exclude explicit details. I think the absence of details, in this case, avoids a reflex in viewers to categorize and judge her pain and anger. And it opens a space to ask yourself what specific stories you know from the women in your own life.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Even after #MeToo, we still don't talk enough about the things that women experience every day just trying to hold space in the world. I hope this film can make women feel seen and push men to question their own behavior towards women and with each other.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Our film will screen at Slamdance in January and have its online premiere on Vimeo in February. We're happy for every opportunity to broaden our audience. But we'd love to have producers come on board for our next project, which is currently in development.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope our film can help people find empowerment and that they can find their own unique and creative ways of working through their pain and anger.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I would love for people to think more about the portrayal of male bodies in art. I would especially like for men to sit with the feeling of bodily objectification. What does such a reduction feel like? The art that comes out of these workshops is beautiful -- male bodies are beautiful -- but what does it feel like to be reduced to a body/body part?
Would you like to add anything else?
This film was a super low-budget, personal project that was only possible because of our amazing crew. My DP Jonathan Gustin, Editor Fionn George, Luisa Nawka who did the sound, and Max van Dusen who composed the credit music. I'm also very thankful to Daniela and all the workshop participants for trusting me and sharing their stories.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm working on a fictional short with improvised dialoge right now, and we're hoping to shoot in 2024. Daniela is still doing workshops, so definitely reach out to her to book a spot if you're ever in Berlin.
Interview: December 2023
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Dicks That I Like
Visual artist Daniela Torres creates colorful ceramic dick sculptures inspired by the men who have been dicks to her. It’s a hands-on approach to healing that yields beautiful results.
Length: 13:23
Director: Johanna Gustin
Producer: Johanna Gustin
Writer: Johanna Gustin
About the writer, director and producer:
JOHANNA GUSTIN is a writer and director originally from New York, now living and working in Berlin. After graduating cum laude from Smith College, she received a Fulbright scholarship and moved to Hamburg, Germany where she completed an MA in Cultural Studies. Her academic background makes her a thoughtful, bold and insightful observer of the structural and cultural norms and boundaries affecting our everyday lived experiences.
Key cast: Daniela Torres
Instagram: @worstofthymes
Other: Vimeo
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Slamdance Film Festival / Park City - 1/22/24, 1/24/24
Vimeo Staff Pick / Online - February 6th 2024