Checking in with Performer/Director Arabelle Raphael

Arabelle Makes Her Co-Directorial Debut in "All My Mother's Lovers"

Alt/fetish performer Arabelle Raphael has co-directed her very first movie, Grooby's "All My Mother's Lovers", a trans lesbian feature which she made alongside performer/director Mona Wales. Raphael is such a creative, interesting, and truly charming woman, and this turn in her career makes total sense. 

So what made you decide you wanted to give directing a try?

"Well, I have been performing on and off for 7 years and have always wanted to make my content. I had been making art films for a bit and done some guest-directed scenes on queer sites. I asked Mona if we could make a version of 'Stealing Beauty' after seeing the property. Not too long after, she messaged me saying she was going to pitch to Grooby! I'm stoked to have had the opportunity and budget to make a full feature film!"

How was co-directing with Mona Wales? What did you learn most from working with her?

"Mona is a smart, magical creature and someone I hope to continue collaborating with no matter what we choose to do. I pretty much learned how to make a feature film from her. She showed me how to take an idea and make into a reality. I'm sure there isn't much Mona can't do."

What do you enjoy most about working for Grooby?

"I love getting to shoot with beautiful and successful trans women. Our sides of the industry tend to be quite separate and Grooby gives us a space to work together. I'm incredibly grateful for that."

What do you enjoy most about performing in/crafting stories within the taboo relations genre?

"I just love the taboo genre, my clips4sale is like 75 percent taboo blow jobs. I love the idea of the forbidden and doing what you're not supposed to be doing. It's based in fantasy for me, and in these scenarios I get to explore things I would never do or even want to in real life."

What/who inspired the storyline?

"As I mentioned, I came up with the idea of an homage to a 90s Liv Tyler movie called 'Stealing Beauty.' Then Mona wrote the script, filling it in with her own personal dynamics."

What do you enjoy most about working with trans performers? What do you think of the bias that exists within the industry towards trans performers by some who identify as straight?

"I love women of all shapes, sizes, blondes, brunettes, cis, trans, etc. I just love babes, and there are a lot of trans babes out there. I think there are some cisgendered people (people who have a gender identity that matches the sex that they were assigned at birth) in the industry that are incredibly ignorant when it comes to trans people. A lot of agents tell their talent not to shoot with trans people based on transphobic misinformation. I'm all for educating fellow cis performers and working all together in the same industry. There are some incredibly talented trans performers out there and those people are missing the fuck out."

What is your favorite sex scene in this?

"Besides mine, because I got to fuck Delia [Delions] again? Ha! I loved watching Mandy [Mitchell] and Bianca [Stone] fuck, nothing hotter than watching a real couple have dirty sex. I love passion and their personal affection for each other shines through. Plus they are nasty."

I love the decision to have the mother be such a sexual being in this story and how the daughter pursues her mother's history. What are your views of the "MILF" phenomenon? A mother being a sexual person is stronger in today's porn than it has ever been.

"I'm super stoked on MILFs being so popular. First, it assures me that I can continue working for awhile LOL. Second, I'm personally really into Mommy/Girl porn so the more there is out there, the more stuff I have to jerk off too. In a culture so obsessed with youth, it's nice to see that people are into older women and that our peak isn't at fucking 19 years old. I'm personally more attracted to women rather than girls."

What makes a family a family also seems to be a solid theme in this. What message were you trying to get across with this movie?

"I think family is made of the people you can go to no matter what. Who you love and continue showing up for. I guess our message is that you can choose your own family. Some people don't have the 'family' relationship with their biological families but that doesn't mean they can't have that. You can choose the people in your life to love and show up for."

What else is coming up for you?

"I just finished a photo series for the We're Still Working: The Art Of Sex Work art show. The gallery opening is tomorrow! I have launched my own membership site Arabelleraphael.com and I am launching another clips4sale store next month!"

Is there anything you'd like to say here to your fans at Fleshbot?

"Thank you for supporting me for the last 7 years! It's because of you that I get to do what I love."

All of the images here appear courtesy of Grooby. Click right here to go watch "All My Mother's Lovers" right now!

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