Sexual morality is traditionally in the hands of the Church. Most modern people hardly question “do we miss anything?” – Only those who go constantly beyond the “normal sex” are aware of how we are stuck in moral traditions.
People get stigmatized, if they perform more or different than the mainstream. Although it is part of us. Of our nature. Yet prohibitive ideas made their way. Starting as an invention of early church Patriarchs. And with the support of a tiny bacteria “Treponema Pallidum”.
Today moral conventions of the late middle ages are still valid. And this is why AXEL, a gay artist, has developed an urge for the journey of this film. He was struck by syphilis last year. By a plague which was supposed to be extinct. Soon it was over. Thanks to Penicillin. But AXEL was also struck by something more personal. Sex, Disease and Morality -2-The harsh attacks of his friends and family “typical that You had to catch it!” — “use condoms!” He was very upset to meet such anger even with his friends, whom he had thought of as liberal and open minded before this incident. An urge arose in Axel to show, that there is rather a microbiological reason behind all this. Even behind our moral judgement.
AXEL teams up with a sex activist.
ANIKA of DE ROODE DRAAD Amsterdam (an organization that fights for the rights of prostitutes). They take off to start to understand the historical dimensions behind Christian doctrines. They enter spheres normally closed to the public. As exploring medieval-church-book-pornographies. Examining arse-kissing priest sculptures, still hanging from medieval buildings and relics of the brothels run by the church until 16th century, when the Holy Office was the largest employer of prostitutes.
They explore thereby not only this fascinating evolution of our moral tradition. But the legal and human tragedies that grew out of them. The reasons for todays criminalization, romantization, lust and fear of lust. On their quest, they knock on the doors of prohibitionists, they enter the red light, the swinger clubs and darkrooms. Meet fallen priests. On the other side they visit neurologists to understand sex in the language of the brain.
At the same time they let us into their life. And let us take part in their battle against prohibition and morality…
The strings converge within the ideas of the epidemiologist Prof. WINKLE. Identifying “Treponema Pallidum”, a tiny bacteria, as the motor of the evolution of our ‘modern morality’…
Green Light for Red Light? – ‘ A Whore’ and ‘Gay Artist’ in Science Documentary? Voyeuristic? At first glance – of course. Yet using this ‘hook’.
Putting up questions, which may not come to everybody’s mind. Questions which are sympathetic, sharp, sometimes naive, yet expose absurdities and deep truths.SEX, DISEASE and MORALITY reveals in a humorous way the complex layers of this socially constructed dress called “Moral”, which we all wear.