House of Vixens is a production company, dedicated to an exploration into the world of erotic storytelling; passionate about embracing the essence of the sensual pageantries of bygone times and presenting them in a new authentic voice on the forefront of erotic performance art. Having established itself in the world of live performance; producing the cult underground erotic theatre company House of Kittens and podcasts – including the new and immediately popular Strippers in the Attic; House of Vixens is now turning its attention to cinematic performance, in collaboration with 16 Oz Films – presenting La Petit Mort.

On the 31st December, as gatherings to celebrate the New Year are limited by lockdowns, House of Vixens asks – what else do have to celebrate, except the end of this bizarre and bitter year?

House of Vixens invites audiences to La Petite Mort – a streamed celebration of the end of the worst year in living memory; a Death Ritual for 2020 via an online luxury immersive film experience. It is also the last ever performance from the ladies of the House of Kittens who feature in this final outing before themselves being put to death, ahead of their rebirth as the vixens they were always destined to be – for a phoenix must burn in order to emerge. La Petite Mort will stream for 12 hours only, before being taken down, and it is the first and only time the film will ever be screened in its original edit.

The event will also involve a streamed immersive/interactive introduction and ceremonial instructions to allow participants to conduct a virtual viaticum, by way of a pre-delivered Ritual Chest, containing candles, flash paper and a special elixir intended to drown any final 2020 sorrows, plus some special somber surprises.

Created by professional artists and dancers, a number of whom have also worked or indeed still work as strippers, dommes and cam-girls, La Petit Mort is the real deal and is made up of a series of cinematic vignettes, all focusing on erotica and female liberation. House of Vixens makes a firm assertion that visual erotica can be created for far more than the male gaze – making work for people of all genders to experience and explore sexuality and eroticism.

Taking inspiration from cult films, high fashion, musical icons, offbeat theatre and underground art, Creative Director of House of Vixens Sophie Cohen and film maker Michael Lindsay’s vision is a bold form of storytelling, combined with exceptional costumes, musical curation and collaborative choreography. La Petit Mort takes audiences on a journey whereby they will find themselves transported into a world of sensual cinema to experience a unique, immersive journey embracing the surreal, the dramatic and the erotic.

Sophie Cohen says “The concept of the film came about when trying to look at what each of us has gone through this year. It confronts the feelings that we’ve all had of being alone, yet together, and it specifically offers a formal goodbye to the year, looking forward to what will be possible in 2021. La Petit Mort takes us through five solo cinematic performances, our Kittens each express their sexuality and sensuality in different ways and each of whom who then die before they are reborn, so that we can all step into 2021 together. We have Death by Disco, Fatal Attraction, Pain, Stepford Wives and Waves of Fear. Some of the pieces are intended first and foremost to be beautiful, whilst others address the issues women who own their sexuality face, looking at sex work, stripping, working as a cam-girl and the difficulties that women in these industries have to confront on a daily basis.

The film is also entirely uncensored. We made the art we wanted to make, so there will be nudity – it’s 100% for adults. We want to question what we as a society censor and why, especially at a time when online and social media such as Instagram are changing their censorship laws to ban any posts considered “adult”.

And we are absolutely not exclusively for the male gaze – In our live shows, our audience is about 60% female and non-binary. Erotica in cinema has traditionally been viewed as targeted only towards a male audience. We know our live shows appeal to all genders, and we are excited to watch that translate to film. Our work is entertaining and sexy and beautiful and dark – and it is made for anyone who appreciates that”.

Michael Lindsay, filmmaker said- “In directing the cinematic vignettes for La Petite Mort, I constantly found myself challenged, by what could be crudely understood as the differences between male and female gaze. Sophie and the team’s exploration of their unique brand of subversive beauty is made all the more interesting due the specific challenges that these amazing live performers have faced in this most difficult of years. Turning their pain and frustrations into something exquisite and seductively captivating has been wonderful to behold and support.”

BE PART OF THE EXPERIENCE – THE RITUAL INGREDIENTS.

Audiences keen to cleanse themselves from the grime of the past year, can choose from two ticketing options:

The Ritual Chest Ticket (£57, max 2 people) is a package of dark delight designed to give you everything you need to banish 2020 – Le Petit Mort style. Guests are provided with a physical package, delivered prior to New Year’s Eve. The contents have been curated especially to accompany the film, in order to encourage and enhance an immersive cinematic experience from home. The Ritual Chest contains candles, spells, flash paper, limited edition art, some very special elixirs, and more.

There is also the option to purchase a Ritual Recipe Ticket (£27 Intended for two people), this comes without the Ritual Chest, but provides full access to the immersive film event, plus guests will be emailed instructions with recipes and links on how to create their own version of Ritual Chest, so they can still enjoy the ceremonial part of the evening.

In addition – all tickets will provide audiences with warm up and afterparty playlists; exclusive discount codes for a variety of luxurious erotica; and House of Vixen’s special Elixir recipe – should you wish to imbibe more alchemic delights as the night goes on.

And for those keen to continue their own party as the event draws to a close, ticket holders will gain access to a Petit Mort private Facebook group link, lasting for 24 hours – offering a fleeting opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and discuss what they have witnessed.