Nunsploitation is a subgenre of

exploitation film An exploitation film is a film that tries to succeed financially by exploiting current trends, niche genres, or lurid content. Exploitation films are generally low-quality "B movies", though some set trends, attract critical attention, become hi ...

which had its peak in Europe in the 1970s. These films typically involve

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

s living in

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

s during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

Criteria

The main conflict of the story is usually of a religious or sexual nature, such as religious oppression or sexual suppression due to living in

celibacy Celibacy (from Latin ''caelibatus'') is the state of voluntarily being unmarried, sexually abstinent, or both, usually for religious reasons. It is often in association with the role of a religious official or devotee. In its narrow sense, the ...

. The

Inquisition The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy, conducting trials of suspected heretics. Studies of the records have found that the overwhelming majority of sentences consisted of penances, ...

is another common theme. These films, although often seen as pure exploitation films, often contain criticism against religion in general and the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in particular. Indeed, some protagonist dialogue voiced feminist consciousness and rejection of their subordinated social role. Many of these films were made in countries where the

is influential, such as Italy and Spain. One atypical example of the genre, ''

Killer Nun ''Killer Nun'' (Italian: ''Suor Omicidi'', ''Sister Murders'') is a 1979 Italian nunsploitation horror film directed and co-written by Giulio Berruti, co-written by Alberto Tarallo, and starring Anita Ekberg, Joe Dallesandro, Lou Castel, and Al ...

'' (''Suor Omicidi''), was set in then present-day Italy (1978).

Background

Nunsploitation, along with

nazisploitation Nazi exploitation (also Nazisploitation) is a subgenre of exploitation film and sexploitation film that involves Nazis committing sex crimes, often as camp or prison overseers during World War II. Most follow the women in prison formula, only r ...

, is a subgenre that ran a parallel course alongside

women in prison film The women in prison film (or WiP film) is a subgenre of exploitation film that began in the early 20th century and continues to the present day. Their stories feature imprisoned women who are subjected to sexual and physical abuse, typically by ...

s in the 1970s and 1980s. As with prison films, they are set in isolated, fortress-like convents where the all-female population turns to

lesbianism A lesbian is a homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with fema ...

and perversity. The element of religious guilt allows for lurid depictions of "mortifying the flesh" such as self-flagellation and painful, masochistic rituals. The mother superior is usually a cruel and corrupt warden-like martinet who enforces strict discipline (more opportunities for whippings and medieval-style punishments) and often lusts after her female charges. An equally sadistic and lecherous priest is often included to add an element of masculine menace to the story. Some segments from the Scandinavian silent film ''

Häxan ''Häxan'' (, "The Witch"; Danish: ''Heksen''; English: ''The Witches''; released in the US in 1968 as ''Witchcraft Through the Ages'') is a 1922 silent film, silent horror film, horror essay film written and directed by Benjamin Christensen. C ...

'' (1922) may be seen as a precursor for this genre. A recent act of cinematic nunsploitation is in

Robert Rodriguez Robert Anthony Rodriguez (; born June 20, 1968) is an American filmmaker, composer, and visual effects supervisor. He shoots, edits, produces, and scores many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas. Rodriguez directed the 1992 ac ...

's ''

Machete Older machete from Latin America Gerber machete/saw combo Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San Agustín de las Juntas, Oaxaca">San_Agustín_de_las_Juntas.html" ;"title="Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San Agustín de las Juntas">Agustín Cruz Tinoco of San ...

'' (2010), where

Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at the age of three. Having appeared as a regular on the television soap opera '' An ...

portrays a gun-toting nun. An even more recent example is

Darren Lynn Bousman Darren Lynn Bousman (; born January 11, 1979) is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in horror films. He has directed four of the ''Saw'' films: ''Saw II'', ''Saw III'', ''Saw IV'', and '' Spiral''. He also direct ...

's nunsploitation horror film '' St. Agatha'' (2018). Among other examples of European exploitation cinema over the last sixty years, nunsploitation genre movies are discussed in Mendik and Mathij's recent overview volume on this general trend within regional cinema genres, cultures, and audience consumption. Chris Fujiwara penned a detailed piece in American pop culture journal ''Hermenaut'', discussing genre examples, such as ''Killer Nun'' (1978), ''

The Nun and the Devil ''The Nun and the Devil'' (Italian: ''Le Monache di Sant'Arcangelo'') is an erotic 1973 Italian nunsploitation film directed by Domenico Paolella. It is also known as: ''Sisters of Satan'' (UK) and ''The Nuns of Saint Archangel'' (US). The action ...

'' (1973) and ''

Flavia the Heretic ''Flavia the Heretic'' (Italian: ''Flavia, la monaca musulmana'', lit. "Flavia, the Muslim nun") is a 1974 Italian-French nunsploitation film directed by Gianfranco Mingozzi. Plot Set in Apulia during Ottoman invasion of Otranto, the film tells ...

'' (1974).

Historical basis

Some films, such as the

X-rated An X rating is a rating used in various countries to classify films that have content deemed suitable only for adults. It is used when the violent or sexual content of a film is considered to be potentially disturbing to general audiences. Aust ...

'' The Devils'', based on a book by

Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books, both novels and non-fiction works, as well as wide-ranging essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the prominent Huxley ...

and directed by

Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films in the main were liberal adaptation ...

, have some basis in fact. Huxley based his original historical account, ''

The Devils of Loudun ''The Devils of Loudun'' is a 1952 non-fiction novel by Aldous Huxley. Premise It is a historical narrative of supposed demonic possession, religious fanaticism, sexual repression, and mass hysteria that occurred in 17th-century France surroun ...

'', on a reported case of mass hysteria and demonic possession that allegedly took place at a French convent in the seventeenth century. Given that the genre was the product of the sixties and seventies, with an occasional contemporary example like the recent ''

Sacred Flesh ''Sacred Flesh'' is a 1999 British nunsploitation horror film. It is set in an indeterminate past, and consists of a series of loosely connected vignettes that depict pseudo-lesbian sexuality and some sado-masochistic activity. Plot Sister Eliz ...

'' (1999), there has been little further resort to possible historical source material, like

Aelred of Hexham Aelred of Rievaulx ( la, Aelredus Riaevallensis); also Ailred, Ælred, and Æthelred; (1110 – 12 January 1167) was an English Cistercian monk, abbot of Rievaulx from 1147 until his death, and known as a writer. He is regarded by Anglicans ...

(1110–1167) and his account of the

Nun of Watton The Nun of Watton (born in the 1140s) was the protagonist of a drama at Watton Priory in Yorkshire, recorded by St Aelred of Rievaulx around 1160 in ''De Quodam Miraculo Mirabili'', long known as '' De Sanctimoniali de Wattun''. In this story o ...

, for example. Another example might be the life of sister Benedetta Carlini, a 17th-century Italian

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

nun. Circa 1986, Graciela Daichman collected stories about aberrant medieval religious women, but since that time, there has been few other serious historical attempt to explore what factual basis might exist for the literary depictions that often served as the basis for nunsploitation cinema. In 2010, Craig Monson wrote ''Nuns Behaving Badly'', which dealt with the social and sexual lives of religious women in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Italy, but such work remains rare. However, recent work on the dramaturgy of demonic possession in medieval Europe may be useful to comprehend the social, psychological and behavioural context of such acts.

In Japan

Catholic nun exploitation films have been a subgenre of Japanese exploitation film since at least the early 1970s. Though Christianity was never a dominant religion in Japan, Japan did encounter Christian missionaries. By taking a minority religion as their subject, it has been suggested that these "shockingly perverse and wildly blasphemous" Catholic nun films are "a way of thumbing one's nose at organized religion without attacking the more sacred beliefs of the general society". Some entries in this genre include

Norifumi Suzuki , was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He is best known for the ''Torakku Yarō'' series. Biography Suzuki was born in 1933 in Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Shizuoka. He dropped out of Ritsumeikan University's Department of Economics, and subse ...

's ''

School of the Holy Beast is a film in the nunsploitation subgenre of Pink film, Pinky violence made by Toei Company in 1974 in film, 1974. Plot A young woman (Yumi Takigawa) becomes a nun at the Sacred Heart Convent to find out what happened to her mother years earlier. ...

'' (1974),

Masaru Konuma is a Japanese film director known for his ''Roman Porno'' films for Nikkatsu during the 1970s. Life and career Early life Masaru Konuma was born in Otaru, Hokkaidō, on December 30, 1937. Konuma retains no memories of his father who was a teac ...

's '' Cloistered Nun: Runa's Confession'' (1976),

Kōyū Ohara was a Japanese film director known for his popular ''Roman Porno'' films, ''Fairy in a Cage'' (1977) and the ''Pink Tush Girl'' series (1978–1980). One of Nikkatsu's most versatile and prolific directors, filming eight movies in 1979 alone, hi ...

's '' Sister Lucia's Dishonor'' (1978), and '' Wet Rope Confession: Convent Story'' (1979),

Hiroshi Mukai is a common masculine Japanese given name. It can also be transliterated as Hirosi. Possible writings Hiroshi can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *浩, "meaning" *汎 *弘, *宏, *寛, *洋, *博, *博一, *博司, ...

's '' Nun: Secret'' (1978),

Nobuaki Shirai Nobuaki (written: 信著, 信朗, 信明, 信昭, 信秋, 伸顕, 伸明, 伸彰, 修光 or 陳爾) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese Go player *, Japanese baseball player *, American Imperial Ja ...

's '' Nun Story: Frustration in Black'' (1980), and

Mamoru Watanabe was a Japanese film director, screenwriter and actor, known for his work in the '' pink film'' genre. Along with directors Genji Nakamura and Banmei Takahashi, Watanabe was known as one of the "Three Pillars of Pink". Life and career Early l ...

's '' Rope of Hell: A Nun's Story'' (1981) and '' Electric Bible: Sister Hunting'' (1992). In 1995, big-busted

AV idol An or is a type of pornographic film actress in Japan. It is a sub-category of the idol culture in Japanese pop entertainment. AV idols work in the pornographic business, often both as an actress as well as a model as the video performances ...

Mariko Morikawa starred in director

Sachi Hamano a.k.a. ''and'' (born March 19, 1948), is a Japanese film director. She is the most prolific and written-about female '' pink film'' director. Life and career Sachi Hamano was born as Sachiko Suzuki in Tokushima Prefecture on March 19, 1948. W ...

's '' Big Tit Monastery'' (巨乳修道院), another Japanese variation on the nunsploitation genre.

In other media

Toronto-based stage artist Jamieson Child, directed in 2015 the

stage musical Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

''Kill Sister, Kill: A Dark New Musical'', as homage to the exploitation genre.

Examples of nunsploitation films

* ''

Mother Joan of the Angels ''Mother Joan of the Angels'' ( pl, Matka Joanna od Aniołów, also known as ''The Devil and the Nun'') is a 1961 Polish art film on demonic possession, directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz, based on a novella of the same title by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, ...

'' (

Jerzy Kawalerowicz Jerzy Franciszek Kawalerowicz (19 January 1922 – 27 December 2007) was a Polish film director and politician, having been a member of Polish United Workers' Party from 1954 until its dissolution in 1990 and a deputy in Polish parliament since ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

) * ''

The Lady of Monza ''The Lady of Monza'' ( it, La monaca di Monza, also known as ''The Awful Story of the Nun of Monza'' and ''The Nun of Monza'') is a 1969 Italian historical drama film directed by Eriprando Visconti. It is loosely based on the real life events of ...

'' (

Eriprando Visconti Eriprando Visconti di Modrone, Count of Vico Modrone (September 24, 1932 – May 26, 1995) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was the nephew of the more famous Luchino Visconti. Born in Milan into a noble family, in ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

) * '' The Devils'' (

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...

) * ''The Demons'' (''Les Demons'',

Jesús Franco Jesús Franco Manera (12 May 1930 – 2 April 2013) was a Spanish filmmaker, composer, and actor, known as a prolific director of low-budget exploitation film, exploitation and B-movies. In a career spanning from 1959 to 2013, he wrote, directe ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

) * ''

Story of a Cloistered Nun ''Story of a Cloistered Nun'' ( it, Storia di una monaca di clausura, released as ''Unholy Convent'' and ''Diary of a Cloistered Nun'') is a 1973 nunsploitation film directed by Domenico Paolella and starring Eleonora Giorgi, Catherine Spaak, Suzy ...

'' (''Storia di una monaca di clausura'',

Domenico Paolella Domenico Paolella (18 October 1915 - 7 October 2002) was an Italian director, screenwriter and journalist. Born in Foggia, between 1933 and 1935 Paolella won several contests for amateur directors; in the same years he started working as a journ ...

, Italy, 1973) * ''

'' (

, Italy, 1973) * ''

'' (''Flavia, la monaca musulmana'',

Gianfranco Mingozzi Gianfranco Mingozzi (5 April 1932 – 7 October 2009) was an Italian director and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Bologna, Mingozzi got a degree in Law, then enrolled at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome, graduating in 1 ...

, Italy,

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

) * ''

'' (

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, 1974) * '' Le Scomunicate di San Valentino'' (

Sergio Grieco Sergio Grieco (13 January 1917 – 30 March 1982) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Biography Sergio's father was the Italian Communist Ruggero Grieco. Grieco first started in film in the Soviet Union in 1931, working as an assis ...

, Italy, 1974) * ''

Satánico pandemonium '' Satánico pandemonium'' ( en, Satanic Pandemonium, italic=yes) is a 1975 Mexican nunsploitation horror film directed by Gilberto Martínez Solares and written by Jorge Barragán, Adolfo Martínez Solares and Gilberto Martínez Solares. It star ...

'' (

Gilberto Martínez Solares Mario Gilberto Agustin Martinez Solares (January 19, 1906 – January 18, 1997) was a Mexican director, cinematographer, screenwriter, and actor who is considered one of the most prolific filmmakers in Mexican cinema having directed more than ...

, Mexico,

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

) * '' Alucarda'' (''Alucarda, la hija de las tinieblas'',

Juan López Moctezuma Juan López Moctezuma (1929 – August 2, 1995) was a Mexican film director and actor. He was born in Mexico City in 1929. During his career he directed five films, all in the genres of supernatural horror and suspense: ''The Mansion of Madness'' (1 ...

, Mexico, 1975) * '' Cloistered Nun: Runa's Confession'' (

, Japan,

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

) * '' Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun'' (Jesús Franco,

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

, 1976) * '' Sister Emanuelle'' (

Giuseppe Vari Giuseppe Vari (9 March 1924 – 1 October 1993) was an Italian film director, editor and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Segni, Rome, Vari started his career as an editor of films and documentaries, collaborating among others with Fed ...

, Italy,

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...

) * ''

'' (''Suor Omicida'',

Giulio Berruti Giulio Berruti (born 27 September 1984) is an Italian actor and dentist, known for his roles in ''Monte Carlo'' (2011), '' Walking on Sunshine'' (2014), and '' Gabriel's Inferno'' (2020). Guiñol nerítico murió en 2021 Life and career Berruti ...

, Italy,

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

) * ''

The Last House on the Beach ''The Last House on the Beach'' (Italian: ''La settima donna'', also known as ''Terror'' and ''The Seventh Woman'') is a 1978 Italian rape and revenge-thriller film directed by Franco Prosperi. The American title refers to Wes Craven's ''The Last ...

'' (''La settima donna'',

Franco Prosperi Franco Prosperi (2 September 1926 – 17 October 2004) was an Italian film director and screenwriter, active between the mid-1960s and the early 1980s. Born Francesco Prosperi in Rome, Prosperi began his career as an assistant director with ...

, Italy, 1978) * '' Nun: Secret'' (

, Japan, 1978) * '' Sister Lucia's Dishonor'' (

, Japan, 1978) * ''

They Call Her Cleopatra Wong ''They Call Her... Cleopatra Wong'' (also known as ''Cleopatra Wong'' and ''Female Big Boss'') is a 1978 Philippine-Singaporean international co-production film directed by Bobby A. Suarez and co-written by Suarez and Romeo N. Galang. It feature ...

'' (

Bobby A. Suarez Roberto A. Suarez (November 27, 1942 – February 8, 2010), commonly referred to as "Bobby" or "BAS", was a Filipino film producer, director and screenwriter who achieved international recognition for movies now regarded as cult classics. Ear ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, 1978) * ''

Behind Convent Walls Behind may refer to: * ''Behind'' (album), a 1992 album by Superior * Behind (Australian rules football), a method of scoring in Australian rules football, awarding one point * "Behind" (song), a 2008 single by Flanders * Behind, a slang term fo ...

'' (''Interno di un convento'',

Walerian Borowczyk Walerian Borowczyk (21 October 1923 – 3 February 2006) was an internationally known Polish film director described by film critics as a 'genius who also happened to be a pornographer'. He directed 40 films between 1946 and 1988. Borowczyk sett ...

, Italy, 1978) * '' Malabimba (Andrea Bianchi, 1979) * '' Images in a Convent'' (

Joe D'Amato Aristide Massaccesi (15 December 1936 – 23 January 1999), known professionally as Joe D'Amato, was an Italian film director, producer, cinematographer, and screenwriter who worked in many genres (westerns, decamerotici, peplum, war films, ...

, Italy,

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

) * ''

The Other Hell ''The Other Hell'' ( it, L'altro inferno) is a 1981 Italian horror film written and directed by Bruno Mattei and Claudio Fragasso and starring Franca Stoppi and Carlo De Mejo. Plot Sister Cristina is lost in the catacombs under the convent whi ...

'' (

Bruno Mattei Bruno Mattei (30 July 1931 – 21 May 2007) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and editor who directed exploitation films in many genres, including women in prison, nunsploitation, zombie, mondo, cannibal, and Nazisploitation films. Ma ...

, Italy,

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

) * ''

The True Story of the Nun of Monza ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (Bruno Mattei, Italy, 1980) * ''

Ms. 45 ''Ms .45'' (also known as ''Angel of Vengeance'' as ''Ms. 45'') is a 1981 American exploitation thriller film directed by Abel Ferrara and starring Zoë Tamerlis. Inspired by films such as ''Thriller – A Cruel Picture'' (1973), ''Death Wish' ...

'' (

Abel Ferrara Abel Ferrara (born July 19, 1951) is an American filmmaker, known for the provocative and often controversial content in his movies and his use of neo-noir imagery and gritty urban settings. A long-time independent filmmaker, some of his best kn ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

) * '' Dark Habits'' (

Pedro Almodóvar Pedro Almodóvar Caballero (; (often known simply as Almodóvar) born 25 September 1949) is a Spanish filmmaker. His films are marked by melodrama, irreverent humour, bold colour, glossy décor, quotations from popular culture, and complex narr ...

, Spain,

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...

) * ''

Convent of Sinners ''Convent of Sinners'' (Italian: ''La monaca nel peccato''/ ''The Sinful Nun''), is a 1986 Italian nunsploitation erotic film directed by Joe D'Amato (as Dario Donati). D'Amato directed, photographed and edited the film. The Rene Rivet screenplay ...

'' (Joe D'Amato as Dario Donati, Italy,

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

) * ''

Nuns on the Run ''Nuns on the Run'' is a 1990 British comedy film starring Eric Idle and Robbie Coltrane, also featuring Camille Coduri and Janet Suzman. The film was written and directed by Jonathan Lynn and produced by HandMade Films. Many of the outdoor scen ...

'' (Jonathan Lynn, United Kingdom,

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

) * '' Electric Bible: Sister Hunting'' (

, Japan,

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

) * '' Dark Waters'' (

Mariano Baino Mariano Baino (born March 17, 1967) is a visual artist, film director, screenwriter, and editor, mainly working in the horror genre. Mariano Baino has been honoured with a rare “Extraordinary Ability Green Card” by the US Government for hi ...

, 1994) * ''

'' (

Nigel Wingrove Nigel Wingrove (born 26 October 1957) is the founder of the horror film company Salvation Films and the Redemption film label and creator of the online alternative female collectivethe Satanic Sluts He is also a film director and the only direct ...

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

) * '' Bad Habits'' (Dominic Deacon, Australia,

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

) * ' (Richard Griffin, 2009) * ''

'' (

, portrayed by

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

) * '' Nude Nuns with Big Guns'' ( Joseph Guzman, 2010) * '' The Little Hours'' (

Jeff Baena Jeff is a masculine name, often a short form (hypocorism) of the English given name Jefferson or Jeffrey, which comes from a medieval variant of Geoffrey. Music * DJ Jazzy Jeff, American DJ/turntablist record producer Jeffrey Allen Townes * ...

, 2017) *''St. Agatha'' (

, 2018) * '' Agnes'' (

Mickey Reece Mickey is a given name and nickname, almost always masculine and often a short form (hypocorism) of Michael, and occasionally a surname. Notable people and characters with the name include: People Given name or nickname Men * Mickey Andrews (bor ...

, 2021) * ''

Benedetta Benedetta is a feminine given name of Italian origin, the feminine equivalent of the masculine name Benedetto, a cognate of Benedict. Persons having the name include: * Benedetta Barzini (contemporary), Italian actress and model *Benedetta Bianchi ...

'' (

Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch director, producer and screenwriter, active in the Netherlands, France and the United States. His blending of graphic violence and sexual content with social satire is a trademark of both his dram ...

, 2021) What Nunsploitation Films Are Saying About The Catholic Church , HuffPost Entertainment
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Notes

Bibliography

*Graciela Daichman: ''Wayward Nuns in Medieval Literature'': Syracuse: Syracuse University Press: 1986: . *Chris Fujiwara
"Convent Erotica"
''Hermenaut'' 12. *Brian Levack: ''The Devil Within: Exorcism and Possession in the Christian West'': New Haven: Yale University Press: 2013. *Ernest Mathijs and Xavier Mendik: ''Alternative Europe: Eurotrash and Exploitation Cinema Since 1945'': London: Wallflower: 2004: . *Craig Monson: ''Nuns Behaving Badly: Tales of Music, Magic, Art and Arson in the Convents of Italy'': Chicago: University of Chicago Press: 2010. *''Anticristo: The Bible of Naughty Nun Sinema and Culture'': Guildford: FAB: 2000: . {{film genres Nuns in fiction 1970s in film 1980s in film 1990s in film 2000s in film 2010s in film

Criteria

Background

Historical basis

In Japan

In other media

Examples of nunsploitation films

See also

Notes

Bibliography