SELECTED REVIEWS

“‘The Dilemma of Desire’, crisply edited by Liz Kaar to drive the argument for the legitimacy of female sexual desire, never stops surprising, either with its characters or its insights. I hope it generates a lot of conversation.”

– Patricia Aufderheide, Documentary Magazine

 

“‘The Dilemma of Desire’ is about a courageous band of queer and straight women, including scientists, sex workers, artists and sex toy designers, dedicated to helping women reclaim their sexuality and promoting the importance of “cliteracy.”

– Brian T. Carney, Washington Blade

 

“Maria Finitzo’s alternately very funny and intensely informational ‘The Dilemma of Desire’ will instill a brand new vocab word in its viewers’ minds: ‘cliteracy’… a full spectrum look at how ignoring anatomy feeds into all corners of existence.”

- Kate Erbland, IndieWire

 

“Maria Finitzo’s look at female sexuality – which counts Barbara Kopple as one of its executive producers – explores the historical disregard for women’s pleasure in academia and medicine, and finds a cohort of educators and activists trying to make sure the next generation is better prepared to know itself inside and out.”

- Norman Wilner, NOW Toronto

 

"Well-versed in the ways of humanist, character-centric documentary filmmaking with a strong social-issues flavor (5 Girls, With No Direction Home, In the Game), Finitzo braids together the stories of several women here with deft assistance from editor Liz Kaar."

- Leslie Felperin, Hollywood Reporter

 

"The Dilemma of Desire is an unabashed celebration of women’s sexuality...[the film] will empower women to embrace their sexuality and that is a beautiful thing."

- Raquel Stecher, QUELLE MOVIES

 

"Sex positivity is more of a force than ever in the cultural conversation, yet the traditional, reductive myth about sexuality still endures: men like sex, women don’t. When it comes to sex, women are the objects, not the subjects. Maria Finitzo’s new doc calls bullshit on the old order — which was never based on any kind of truth — and calls for a revolution. Gender equality must extend to every part of life, including the bedroom."

- Women and Hollywood

 

"In The Dilemma of Desire, Finitzo channels the energy of that conversation into a brisk, entertaining and edifying cultural history of the clitoris, making the convincing case that its absence in the public discourse, woefully underrepresented, if at all, in scientific research studies in relation to its male counterpart and largely made to feel as if it’s too private to talk about, has stymied the progress towards achieving full equality for women."

- Stephen Saito, The Moveable Fest

 

"What I loved about this documentary was that it really holds nothing back. When it comes to female pleasure, there’s always more knowledge that we can learn. And hopefully, anyone reading this gets a chance to see this film because it’s an amazing insight on both pleasures and knowledge. It shines the light on how vital sexual education is with the proper information and emphasizes the importance of both men and women. The clitoris isn’t a dangerous thing to talk about. And it never should be."

- John Garza, Reel Anarchy

 

"In the deeply engrossing new documentary The Dilemma of Desire...director Maria Finitzo (Those Left Behind) examines how little we know – and how much we need to know – about the clitoris and beyond. With a captivating cast of talking-head interview subjects, Finitzo creates a comprehensive overview of the erotic world of women that dispels all preconceptions and false notions. Desire is not the dilemma; male dominance and supremacy are...The Dilemma of Desire is a marvel, fierce in its focus to rewrite the rules of behavior for all to follow. Begone, O Phallusy! The age of Cliteracy is upon us."

- Christopher Reed, Hammer to Nail

 

"I really enjoyed The Dilemma of Desire, unable to shake many of its messages and moments of enlightenment. It is a fascinating exploration in female sexuality and everything it encompasses. I found myself rewinding...shock and curiosity driving me to make sure I did not miss a beat. It is an eye-opening and a vital informational showcase for everyone today, yesterday and tomorrow."

- Stephanie Archer, Film Inquiry

 

“The Dilemma of Desire is mostly a profile piece, bouncing between subjects invested in the cause of how we talk about female sexuality. It’s well-constructed, and the interviews strike a nice balance between being thought-provoking and entertaining. Again, this is a film that will almost certainly produce wonderfully informative and revealing Q&A events, and I regret that these couldn’t have started in a town as progressive as Austin. It’s a movie designed to get people talking. Let’s hope that conversation is allowed to start soon.”

- Brian Tellerico, RogerEbert.com

 

"The Dilemma of Desire begins a conversation. A conversation which is vital and up until recently has not been happening. Women have been forced into silence. Only now do we feel strong enough in enough numbers to bring this to the table. Male sexuality has always been a given. Attention and space has been allotted to it whereas female desire has been ignored and, even more aggressively, silenced. Finitzo’s film is empowering."

- Carey, OrcaSound

 

SELECTED PRESS COVERAGE


Xtra | The clitoris’ sole function is pleasure. Why is that a problem?
by Andrea Zanin

 

TORONTO GUARDIAN | What’s on our radar at HOT DOCS Film Festival 2020
by Sonya Davidson

 

INDIEWIRE | Hot Docs 2020: 10 of the Most Exciting Films in This Year’s Lineup
by Kate Erbland, Eric Kohn, and David Ehrlich

 

NOW Toronto | May, 2020
Norman Wilner's top 10 must-see films at Hot Docs 2020
by Norman Wilner

 

WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD | May, 2020
Hot Docs 2020 Women Directors: Meet Maria Finitzo
by Meghan Gheron

 
 

VARIETY | May, 2019
Cannes Plays Host to Plethora of Documentary Features
by Jennie Punter

 
 
 
 
 

CINEMA JAW PODCAST | March, 2019
Movies About Sex
Hosted by Matt Kubinski and Ryan Jagiello

 

NEW CITY FILM | September, 2018
FILM 50 2018 (Featuring Maria Finitzo & Diane Quon)
by Ray Pride

 

SCREEN MAGAZINE | August, 2017
Loading Doc: Tattoos, A Recluse and Sexual Revolution
by Screenmag