On Sex and Love in Absolute Trust

No actor or director, who’s serious about his or her work, wants to be involved in schlock. We want to present the utmost we are capable of achieving. I expect Absolute Trust to do that, for all involved. 

In Greek Mythology Eros is the god of love. Absolute Trust carries us along, as two flawed, yet exquisitely humane people journey from loss and despair, through sexual healing, to self-discovery and that promise of love. They embody our deepest desire, to be seen and accepted as we really are.  In psychiatry, eros is libido, the sexual drive and "the sum of all instincts for self preservation." Absolute Trust conveys that mystery we feel in making love, and the reality of erotic excitement.

I plan an “R" rated film for general distribution and an unrated, art house version, primarily for European and Asian distribution, where I expect a larger audience than in the US. Nudity and sexual situations are inherent to this story and any actor taking on the role of Rebecca or Katherine or David must be comfortable with that. But, the real challenge, particularly for the woman who inhabits Rebecca, will be to reveal the vulnerability of a brilliant woman with deeply hidden wounds.

Years ago, I asked really good actors (Holly Hunter, Barbara Hershey, others) what they meant when they said, "It’s important that I know I can trust the director." They could not explain it in a way I could understand at the time. Now it's clear, an actor must feel that the director’s taste and sensibility are such that she can safely get inside the character and trust him to watch from outside and protect her.

- Harvey Mandlin, Director

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see"
             Edgar Degas