In The Pervert’s Guide to Utopias, the third in a trilogy of films that UK director Sophie Fiennes has made with philosopher Slavoj Žižek, the great man charts the utopian illusions of our times, all the time taking unexpected detours and hand-brake turns, continually referencing all media, from classic film to music, social media, archive and webcasts.

Sophie Fiennes explains why film works as a medium for reflection on life’s pain and absurdities. “I believe all cinema – fiction or nonfiction – is at its core anthropological; remainders of human culture and civilisation. This film has been made from a point of desperation.”

The film world premieres at Venice FF before its North American premiere at TIFF.

The Dutch co-producers on the project are Lisette Kelder and Ineke Kanters of The Film Kitchen, whose stated aim is “to empower directors to realize their visions, even if it means challenging conventions and making the seemingly impossible possible,” as evidenced by their boarding Fiennes’ audacious new film.

The pair’s relationship with Fiennes and her Pervert’s Guide series goes all the way back to the first instalment, The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema, when they were working alongside the film’s Dutch co-producer Kees Kasander. Kanters also helped pitch Fiennes’ The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology at IFFR CineMart in 2008, where it won the CineMart Award.

Kelder underlines the sense of imperative that is evident within the third instalment of the series. “We really love the way that Žižek finds words to articulate our anxieties, and to navigate the chaos of the current world,” she says.

“The production became very urgent, because while we were shooting, so many things were happening. For instance, while we were shooting in the Arctic in Norway all the discussions around Trump and Greenland were going on.”

The level of Dutch involvement in the project is impressive. Fiennes’ long-time collaborator, Netherlands DoP Remko Schnorr, was once more on hand to lens the film. The post-image duties were carried out by Fever Film, while colour expert Joel Sahuleka oversaw the grading. Title and poster design was undertaken by Sander Brouwer, while the archival workflow on the production was organised by Rob Maas. Post-production co-ordinator was Dutch Carlota Busquets. What’s more all of the translation and subtitling work, as well as insurances, was controlled out of The Netherlands.

The film was supported by both Netherlands Film Fund and the Netherlands Production Incentive, and broadcaster VPRO came on board early in the production.

“I think it's okay to say that we had to convince the financiers a bit, maybe because there were quite some years between this and the previous instalment,” says Kanters. “But I'm really happy to say that everybody really understood that this film was needed in these times. Slavoj Žižek is like a rock star. So many young people, aged between 25 and 30, know him. And that helps a lot.”

Surprisingly, given the critical success of the first two episodes, there was no UK money forthcoming for the third episode. But the UK’s loss was Europe’s gain as the eventual co-production entailed involvement from Slovenia, the Netherlands, Ireland and Norway. “Everybody was so convinced that this film had to be made and supported,” says Kelder. “And it makes you even more proud that it all worked out. Now it's a real European film.”

There are no plans as yet for a fourth instalment, but if anything develops, Kanters and Kelder will be more than willing to offer co-pro support once more, they say. Why? Because future generations of perverts will need the type cinematic sustenance that Fiennes and Žižek can provide.

“Yes, we need more perverts,” the Film Kitchen producers sign off.

The Pervert’s Guide to Utopias is written and directed by Sophie Fiennes. Production: Keeper Film (IE) in co-production with P Guide (UK), The Film Kitchen (NL), Spok Films (SI) and Mattima Films (NO).

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