ForeFans

In ForeFans Australian-Croatian director/writer Ivan Malekin takes us into the world of webcam nude modeling. We follow the journey of international student Isla (Anastasia Kor) from housecleaner to nude webcam model. Isla lives in Zagreb, struggling to make ends meet scrubbing toilets. Her deadbeat boyfriend Noah (Antoine Topin) contributes nothing, and Ana (Ivona Tomiek), her roommate/landlady, is going apoplectic over unpaid rent. Isla is desperate for more income. Her friend, Fay (Andrea Véguez), tells her that she’s a webcam model for a service called ForeFans (of course, riffing on OnlyFans), and that the money is good. 

Isla had never considered stripping, online or not. She’s shy about it, but quickly warms to the idea, and before long she’s taking risque pics to advertise her site. She borrows a webcam from Fay and begins making bank. Her niche is to portray characters from Anime. 

Noah is against the cam girl work and asks her to move in with him to share expenses. She declines and he breaks up with her. Her life is further complicated by a fan of her site, Jonas (Nicolas Hackenberg), who courts her online and wants her time for more than stripping. She agrees to meet him in person, and from there the situation goes completely off the rails. 

The film’s production value is top notch, particularly for the Indie / low budget space. Malekin creates a credible world including an Anime show called Final Destiny, the ForeFans service, and the web design for the online platform. ForeFans was shot guerrilla-style in Zagreb and Paris over the course of two weeks. The dialogue is largely improvised. All of the performances are solid, but the standouts are Véguez and Kor, who carry the weight of the narrative, particularly Kor who does most of the nude modeling in the film. She delivers Isla with compassion and authenticity. 

“… Isla had never considered stripping, online or not …”

The story was inspired by actual experiences of a webcam model, including sharing frighteningly abusive comments the models endure as part of their work. Violence against women has become a frequent trope in the porn world. It is noteworthy that a film ostensibly meant to expose the ills of web camming, in fact shows that Isla benefits from her new job. Once she sheds her naiveté and learns how to stay safe, it’s not that bad. 

Malekin says the film explores the digital commodification of women, and the sexual degradation that models are exposed to. However, this assertion rings hollow, given that he has Kor naked for so much of the film. It would be more plausible if the film had been made by a woman. The point about the downside of modeling could have been made without so much skin. The audience becomes the voyeurs and are invited to indulge. It begs the question: at what point do you cross over from showing what’s happening into actually doing it yourself? Opinions will vary about whether Malekin crossed that line. 

The American puritan shame around sex and nudity is not shared in Europe, explaining the casual approach in the film. But too much of the runtime is taken up by nude performances instead of delving into Isla’s emotional turmoil. She is oddly unaffected by events that would have most people hiding under the bed.

The technical accomplishment of ForeFans is undeniable, as is the artistry of the actors. Malekin has created a polished, striking film that explores the reality of webcam sex work, as well as the financial side of it. As a viewer, it would be more satisfying to get deeper into the characters, versus centering on the industry itself.

Learn more at the official ForeFans website.