A BODY TO LIVE IN is the life of BDSM icon Fakir Masafar who pushed for Deeper Awakenings
Documentary Reveiw:
By: Steve V Rodriguez
A BODY TO LIVE IN is the new documentary by Angelo Madsen that takes an in depth look at the life of Fakir Masafar - a man that became an icon within the BDSM performance art community and who arguably was one of the original founding members of body modification and piercing culture. These accomplishments were not part of Fakir’s goals as we learn in this documentary but, rather byproducts of a man that was on his own mission of self discovery. A man, that from an early age found himself experimenting with clothes pins while searching for openings within the psychic body. Fakir pushed himself to endure pain but always with the journey in mind and a way of self discovery. This journey had him experimenting with lying on a bed of nails and waist training through various corsets often documenting these moments. He was inspired by members of the circus who pushed boundaries for entertainment.
A BODY TO LIVE IN is a beautiful and hypnotic film that is not for the faint of heart when it comes to body modification and the idea of pushing our bodies into what many would consider painful situations. Always with the idea and question: Is this for art or is this for a deeper sense and spiritual awakening? The audience is left with those questions to ponder and realize that the two can coexist perhaps… Fakir was not without controversy as we learn he had dissidence with Native Americans and the usage of the Sun Dance…his evolution into the BDSM culture and his struggle with his own sexuality and identity are all exposed and confronted along this raw journey.
For anyone who has ever experimented with BDSM culture, body modification, piercing or who simply was looking for deeper answers spiritually, A BODY TO LIVE IN will engulf you in a life that was not afraid to find these answers while still struggling with identity issues that so many of us face.
A BODY TO LIVE IN screens at The San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival (June 18 - 28, 2025)
Screening: Thurs, June 19, 8:00pm, Roxie Theatre
*Notable Bay Area artists and cultural figures to attend.
