Desire, or also known as Q, is a 2011 French erotic drama film written and directed by Laurent Bouhnik.

The film that tells the stories of the lives of several people, centers on Cecile, a 20-year-old woman whose father had just died. She wants to bury her grief and sorrow by having as many sexual relations with as many people as she could, with the people she knows and she doesn't know.

Cecile has a boyfriend, named Chance, a petty criminal who loves her. The thing is, he cannot satisfy Cecile's sex Desire. Chance has a close friend, named Matt, who has a girlfriend, named Alice. Cecile made sexual encounters with them all, but still couldn't find what she's looking for.

As a result of Cecile's escapade, the characters' lives turned upside down.

The film depicts graphic nudity throughout. With breasts, buttocks, vulvas, labias, penises, and unsimulated sex, director Laurent Bouhnik knew that he wouldn't be able to cast professional actors and actresses.

Because this film crosses the boundaries of mainstream movies into the realms of pornography, Bouhnik knew that he couldn't just pick up his phone and contact agencies and managers of celebrities.

So instead, he relied entirely on the web.

Bouhnik posted a small advertisement, nothing much or too eye-catchy.

The ad, which was open to anyone on the internet, stated that he was looking for "actors/actresses aged 20 to 40, professionals or amateurs. who agree to shoot scenes with non-simulated sexual acts."

"For this film on pleasure and desire," he said, the director added that he wants to offer "everyone the opportunity to apply for the main roles. Amateurs, professionals from theater, cinema, fashion, of any genre or illustrious strangers who believe in their talent."

The only people who couldn't audition, were "gymnasts or sex addicts."

"This project is a real cinema film and the strength of cinema comes through interpretation. In order to interpret the characters of our story, we are therefore looking for real actors capable of playing on feelings, of making people laugh, crying, of excitement, capable of conveying emotions to spectators."

Bouhnik has worked and directed several films in the past, but Q is different for thim.

"For me, there is something in Q that already exists in my previous films, it is that between the tangible and the intangible, there is something stronger, it is the intangible is the feeling, it is something that endures," he said.

"Society may deteriorate, but what can unite people and strengthen them is precisely this link, this intangible that makes us recognize each other and we will support and love each other. So it's more of a positive message. If there had been an evil spirit on this film, it would have been impossible to do it. This film is a love film."

"I have never experienced this."

Laurent Bouhnik met Déborah Révy, who answered the ad.

At first, Révy originally auditioned for the role of Alice, but after reading the script, she said that she found the lead character Cecile as a more challenging role.

To help her with her role, Bouhnik asked Révy to learn from mainstream films with unsimulated sex scenes.

"What all these films have in common is that it's obviously not ass!" said Révy's co-star Hélène Zimmer, who took the role of Alice.

It's worth noting that going bare naked in front of a camera isn't anything new for Révy.

When the film was released, it was quickly blocked in many countries and regions, and that its poster was even censored.

"Just at the level of the image, that is to say that seeing a man between the legs of a woman, it does not pass, it does not exist," Bouhnik said.