coming 2013.9.28  Canadian Global TV will feature OS in a Real 2 Reel production:  "ANIMISM:  People Who Love Objects"

Director's Statement - William Spahic

In my initial research for documentary ideas for Global (Shaw) TV’s documentary strand on subcultures I came across the usual suspects, the Furries, the Lolita Girls in Japan, the Mods etc, but it was an item on Erika Eiffel and her marriage to the Eiffel Tower that stopped me in my tracks. I learned she was part of a growing subculture of people who have intimate and emotional relations with objects rather than humans, Objectum Sexuals (OS).

The first question, “How does that work?” hit me immediately. Quickly, it became evident to me that it does work for OS people and so I started my journey to learn about the “how” part. My research also showed that there has hardly been any documentaries or studies on Objectum-Sexuality that go deeper than the superficial titillation.

I am fortunate that Shaw loved the project and came fully on board. And, further more, I am extremely grateful to my five wonderful characters who have bravely opened their lives to answer the “how” part. All my characters have put themselves at risk of ridicule, losing friends and even losing their jobs in committing to the film. They all feel that it’s a valid sexual orientation, and that the troubles they most surely will face as a result of the film will perhaps make it easier for OS people in the future to declare their love of objects. The validation they seek will take years.

Their courage and commitment have raised my own level of involvement. The struggle for acceptance is at the heart of the film and the ‘how does it work’ is the vehicle to get there. At first, I thought I was making an objective film about OS, but very quickly I realized that the documentary had to be more subjective – about them, their lives and their loves. As a result there aren’t any ‘authorities’ on the subject or any psychological explanations. I wanted to let the characters speak to the viewer directly, personally. In order not to get between the characters and the viewer I kept the style of the film direct and simple; the camera focused on the characters.

I tasked my self to tell their stories sympathetically, honestly and fairly by asking them all the difficult questions that most people have about OS and I have challenged their beliefs that inanimate objects can be a source of love. Take away the fact that their love is an object and no one could tell that the OSers were not talking about a human being.

My characters’ classic love stories, full of ups and downs, loves lost and regained, frustrations and sheer joy impregnate the film with an emotional drive. And, as Erika says “I am not doing any harm to myself, or to anyone else and I am happy. I want to live and love out loud.”

Indeed the film is about a subculture of people within the spectrum of humanity – but it’s not a film about sub-humans. I ‘love’ my characters and am exhilarated to have made a film about them, with them.

 

 

 

 

coming 2011.6. 6  National Geographic will feature OS on their flagship show, Taboo in the series called "Forbidden Love"

Love can come in many different and bizarre forms. In Washington State, we meet a man with objectum sexuality who has an emotional, romantic and often sexual attraction to his car, named Vanilla. In Germany, we'll introduce you to the founder of the Objectum Sexual International Forum, who is in a loving relationship with the Berlin Wall.

2010.3.2  Dr Amy Marsh, a clinical sexologist from San Francisco bay area has published her article "Love Among the Objectum Sexuals"

...describing the first research conducted with a group of  OS or “objectophiles,” people who experience emotional, romantic, affectionate and/or sexual relationships with objects...

2010.1  Current TV takes a closer look into the lives of three objectum-sexual women in Objectum-Sexualism.

Erika Eiffel has been featured in a number of programs but this time director Stuart Kershaw meets Erika in her element, the liberal city of Berlin, for the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall; her old flame from the 1980's. Stuart then meets Suzy who lives in the east of Berlin and whose cherished love is also a GDR icon in concrete and steel. Finally Stuart travels to England to catch up with Ash and her mechanical dream machine that frequents the busy streets of London.

2009.11  Norwegian Photographer Kyrre Lien produces a multimedia story featuring Eija-Riitta Berliner Mauer A Concrete Love Story

Kassie Bracken from the New York Times writes:

This might be the most intriguing profile I have seen this year: “A Concrete Love Story” is the “winning” story our of nine multimedia pieces created during Dokument 09, a four-day student photojournalist workshop in Sweden. I will not give away the premise of this five-minute video, other than to say it shines light on a most unusual romantic relationship. This year, two members of Bombay Flight Club led the workshop, and, not surprisingly, their influence is visible in the interweaving stills and video: the composition is beautiful and moody throughout. With the opening line, “It happened in September 1977 — we got a TV that year,” the producers offer us the first piece of a puzzle and the effect is a delicate rendering of a woman’s lifelong, unusual love.

2009.10.2  OS featured on Tyra Banks Show

Tyra Banks features Erika Eiffel and asks a variety of questions pertaining to her objectum sexual relationships with the Eiffel Tower and Berlin Wall. Also, Dr. Amy Marsh fields questions about the roots of OS. 

2009.4.8  On the 2nd year anniversary of her commitment to the Eiffel Tower, Erika Eiffel is featured on ABC News Good Morning America

Erika's love and connection for objects throughout her life may have brought her misunderstanding and rejection but true to her deep rooted feelings, she has been empowered by her OS relationships to achieve amazing goals. 

In the first media to address OS in the the United States, Dr. Amy Marsh shares her expertise as a clinical sexologist.  Is OS a possible orientation rather than a paraphile?  

2009.2.24  Objectum-sexuality found its way into the script of the US medical drama Nip/Tuck. 

Dr Taper, a plastic surgeon hired to replace Dr. Troy is revealed to be OS. 

The show alludes to his interest in a particular decor with various comments and verbal slips in early scenes.  Later, alone in his office-to-be, Dr Taper romances Dr Troy's oak desk with a kiss and graduates to the sofa where he is caught in the act by Dr. Troy and McNamara. 

Highly embarrassed Dr. Taper opts to reveal to the stunned doctors that he is objectum-sexual and briefly explains the definition of his OS, his belief in animism, and his attraction for perfection.  He is subsequently requested to leave.

2009.2.8  Erika Eiffel was featured on RTL Punkt 12, midday news in Germany.  Filmed in Paris at the Eiffel Tower, Erika sets the record straight after an exploitative take on her OS in June 2008 nearly destroyed her relationship with the object of her affection.  Focusing less on sexual sensationalizing and more on facts and psychological analysis, this documentary goes to the core of Erika's love and connection to the Eiffel Tower.  

2008.10.23  Oliver was featured in a documentary film for RTL2 in Germany.  The preview:

A proud 37 years and 95 tons of steel separate Oliver from his - in the truest sense - large love. For most humans it is almost incomprehensible, but the 43-year old fell in love for real with a steam locomotive. For him the colossal of steel with its sexy smoke stack and the hot steam cylinders is like a human loving partner.

But then something tragic happens: His "Sahneschnittchen" disappears without a trace from the museum. On this day Oliver suffers intolerable grief. Allegedly his steel lover is to be disassembled in an abandoned locomotive shed. In hopes to have one last night with his darling, Oliver embarks on the search for the object of his longing.

Unfortunately, the following story of our German friend is another very similar and unfortunate example of how the frank wish for more understanding and clarification can be abused by certain media for ratings.  This program was sensationalized to the detriment of Oliver.

2008.6  International media has taken a light to OS and featured the object marriages of Eija-Riitta Eklöf Berliner-Mauer and Erika Eiffel in  numerous articles, radio interviews, and television programs.  This is the first international recognition of Objectům-Sexuality and while the media tends to be rather judgmental of OS and sensationalistic, we are pleased that people are "looking over the Fence" and even more pleased that others like us are realizing they are not one and alone in this world.

2008.4.5 - 6.15  The 5th Berlin Biennial for contemporary art features a exhibition on OS from the talented Norwegian artist, Lars Laumann.  On the grounds of the former border strip in Berlin, the 30 min film captures the true essence of OS as a natural orientation as Eija-Riitta Berliner Mauer tells her account of being OS and what it means to love objects.   The film briefly features Erika Eiffel who also loves the Berlin Wall today, how she found Eija-Riitta, and how they both came to accept their unique love of the Berlin Wall in past and present.  And finally a stirring finale as Eija-Riitta openly shares her feelings about the fall of the Berlin Wall 9 November, 1989.

Interview with Lars

2008.5  Bizarre Magazine (UK) - a very informative article on OS featuring Eija-Riitta (Wall-Winther) and Erika (Kiowa): OS sisters who both love the Berlin Wall, how they found each other, and how they both love Berliner Mauer in the past and today.  The original magazine article also featured photos and love poems for the Berlin Wall from both women.

 

 

 

 

Updated: 11 September, 2013 16:05