''Paprika'' is a 1991

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

film directed by

Tinto Brass Giovanni "Tinto" Brass (born 26 March 1933) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. In the 1960s and 1970s, he directed many critically acclaimed avant-garde films of various genres. Today, he is mainly known for his later work in the er ...

. The film is loosely based on

John Cleland John Cleland (c. 1709, baptised – 23 January 1789) was an English novelist best known for his fictional '' Fanny Hill: or, the Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure'', whose eroticism led to his arrest. James Boswell called him "a sly, old malcont ...

's novel ''

Fanny Hill ''Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure''—popularly known as ''Fanny Hill''—is an erotic novel by English novelist John Cleland first published in London in 1748. Written while the author was in debtors' prison in London,Wagner, "Introduction", ...

'', first published in 1748. It was remade as an explicit

pornographic film Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, sex films, and 18+ films are films that present sexually explicit subject matter in order to arouse and satisfy the viewer. Pornographic films present sexual fantasies and usually include eroticall ...

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, ...

in 1995.

Plot

In 1958, on the verge of the Merlin Law that makes

brothel A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...

s illegal, Mimma (

Debora Caprioglio Debora Caprioglio (born 3 May 1968) is an Italian actress. Internationally, she is best known for playing the title character in the 1991 film ''Paprika (1991 film), Paprika'' by Tinto Brass and a relationship with Klaus Kinski from 1987–1989. ...

), a young country girl, comes to town and decides to work as a

prostitute Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

in order to help her fiancé get the money to start their own business, and is given the name Paprika at Madame Collette's (

Martine Brochard Martine Brochard (born 2 April 1944) is a French actress and writer. Life and career Born in Paris, Brochard debuted in 1968 in a minor role in François Truffaut's '' Baisers volés''. In 1970, she moved to Italy, where she became a minor s ...

) house. Once her fiancé betrays her, Mimma gives up her original ambitions and decides to pursue a career as a prostitute. In the process, she loses any sense of self-confidence and self-respect, but eventually she finds redemption, wealth, and her one true love.

Cast

as Paprika *

Stéphane Ferrara Stéphane Ferrara (born 25 December 1956) is a French actor and boxer. He appeared in more than sixty films since 1982. Selected filmography References External links * 1956 births Living people French male film actors French male ...

as Rocco *

as Madame Collette *

Stéphane Bonnet Stéphane is a male French given name an equivalent of Stephen/Steven. Notable people with this given name include: * Stéphane Adam (born 1969), French footballer * Stéphane Agbre Dasse (born 1989), Burkinabé football player * Stéphane Allagno ...

as Franco *

Rossana Gavinel Rossana may refer to: * Rossana (given name), a feminine Italian given name * Rossana, Piedmont, Italy * ''Rossana'' (film), a Mexican drama film directed by Emilio Fernández See also * Rossana Lower and Rossana Upper, townlands of County Wic ...

as Gina * Renzo Rinaldi as Count Bastiano *

Nina Soldano Nina Soldano (born 26 March 1963) is an Italian actress. Life and career Born in Pisa to Apulian parents, Soldano made her debut in the 1987 Renzo Arbore's variety show ''Indietro tutta'', in which she played the role of Miss Sud,Giorgio Dell'A ...

as The journalist * Clara Algranti as Sciura Angelina *

Luciana Cirenei Luciana may refer to: * Luciana (given name), a Latin feminine given name * Luciana (singer), British pop singer * Luciana, Ciudad Real Luciana is a small village and municipality in the province of Ciudad Real ( Spain), near the confluence of ...

as Donna Olimpia *

John Steiner John Steiner (7 January 1941 – 31 July 2022) was an English actor. Tall, thin and gaunt, he attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and performed on-stage for the Royal Shakespeare Company, but was best known to audiences for his roles i ...

as Prince Ascanio *

Valentine Demy Valentine Demy (born 24 January 1963) is an Italian mainstream and pornographic actress. Born as Marisa Parra in Pisa, Demy started her film career in the late 1980s, appearing often in main roles in several genre films, mainly of erotic genre ...

as Beba * Luigi Laezza as Nino * Riccardo Garrone as Paprika's uncle * Paul Muller as Milvio *

Domiziano Arcangeli Domiziano Arcangeli (June 10, 1966 – July 13, 2020) was an Italian actor, producer and writer best known for low-budget independent, and particularly exploitation, films.Daniel Reynolds"''Brides of Sodom'' Star Domiziano Arcangeli Brings Homoe ...

as Gualtiero Rosasco

Production

In his autobiography,

revealed he began a sexual affair with actress

during filming.

References

External links

*
''Paprika''
at

Variety Distribution Variety Distribution is an Italian-based film distribution company. It distributes Italian films worldwide, produced from the 1930s onward. History Variety Distribution (formerly Variety Film and Variety Communications) has been in the film ...

1991 films Films about prostitution in Italy Films based on British novels Films directed by Tinto Brass Italian erotic drama films Films set in 1958 Films scored by Riz Ortolani 1990s erotic drama films 1990s Italian-language films 1990s Italian films {{erotic-film-stub