TORONTO, Canada—Connections in the Dark—a short documentary that takes an unconventional look at the reality of rope bondage's alluring pull—is set to make its debut premiere at the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival in Toronto.
The 15-minute film also focuses on Lord Morpheous, a creative expert in the complex terrain of kink/fetish and bondage, and his 12-hour public art installation MBE (Morpheous' Bondage Extravaganza) in Toronto, the largest bondage event in the world, as it celebrates its 10th Annual—and quite possibly final—communal gathering.
Connections in the Dark will play as part of the “Local Heroes” short program, 6:45 p.m. Thursday, June 1, at the TIFF Bell Lightbox Theatre, Cinema 1.
“I’ve always found it to be fascinating … we all kind of lead a little bit of a double life,” Morpheous explains to Connection in the Dark’s audience by way of voiceover commentary. “We have this huge community that is just underneath the surface of the regular world, and we are really thankful for it.
“To see that we (MBE) had reached 75,000 people all over the world was really a turning point that none of us had ever expected.”
Connections in the Dark, directed and edited by Raj Ramnauth, probes the ins and outs of the intricate art of rope bondage as presented by the most talented and well-known performers in this tight-knit community.
“We explore the more artistic side of bondage,” adds model and performer Blair DeVorr of MBE—and the fetish community at large. “I guess a lot of people think bondage is just about sex, and there is a lot more to it. We want to show that and get that other side out to people.”
But nothing last forever, Morpheous reminds Connections' audience regarding his retirement from the Extravaganza after a decade of rope work in front of thousands of enthusiasts observing riggers and rope bottoms exhibit their meticulous handiwork.
“The essence of performance art is that it only exists in its time and place for just a moment, much like the way flowers grow in the spring,” said Morpheous. “They're going to be around for a little bit, then they'll be gone.”
See more about Connections in the Dark at ConnectionsInTheDark.com. For more on the screening, visit InsideOut.ca/TorontoFestival/film/shorts-local-heroes.
