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Dorcel celebrates 35th anniversary

Marc Dorcel is marking its 35th anniversary with a party in October – location to be confirmed. The French adult powerhouse, which has interests in everything from sex toys to television channels, is best known in the UK for its stylish and multi-award-winning Pornochic series of DVDs but its road to success began with print. Back in 1979, the eponymous Marc Dorcel created a steamy erotic picture book and when it was converted to a video format Dorcel’s career took on a new direction.

The first movie he produced and directed, Sweet Little Bitches, proved to be a huge success with France’s sex shops, despite its high price, and it is believed to have been a contributing factor in the take-up of VHS recorders in the country. The company now has a catalogue of over 800 films, all featuring Dorcel’s signature style of attractive women, alluring lingerie and sumptuous sets.

Marc’s son Gregory joined the company in 1996 and was appointed managing director in 2000. Dorcel – still with Marc himself and Gregory at the helm – now has a presence in over 50 countries and besides movies, sex toys and television channels its interests also include magazines, VOD services and retail stores.

In 2010 it offered enthusiasts the opportunity to co-produce a movie called Mademoiselle de Paris via crowdfunding. It reached its target of €85,000 in just 78 hours, making it France’s fastest ever crowdfunding operation. More recently, Dorcel created the first adult website for women run by women.

Managing director Gregory Dorcel said: “In 35 years, Dorcel has seen customs and technologies evolve, and since the explosion of the internet, porn is not only confined to sex shops and specialised theatres. Pornography has now invaded the private sphere and has become a mass phenomenon, widespread in all backgrounds. More than 20 years after the first adult movie broadcast on TV, it not shameful anymore to like porn and to admit it. Moreover, adult content was for a long time reserved to a male audience, whereas now, it tends to target a more feminine audience that wishes for even higher quality programmes, becoming an integral part of couples’ sexuality.”