Virginie Efira – a ‘Showgirls’ Fan – Enjoyed the ‘Benedetta’ Controversy: ‘When Verhoeven Said There Would Be Lesbian Sex Scenes, I Just Replied: ‘No Problem’
Virginie Efira said she welcomed the controversy around Paul Verhoeven’s “Benedetta”, arguing that sharply divided reactions are preferable to polite, uncritical applause. Speaking at Locarno while receiving the Leopard Club Award, she said she trusted Verhoeven and was proud to have committed herself fully to the film, despite protests and offence caused by its depiction of a nun’s relationship with another nun.
Efira said the film’s lesbian sex scenes did not concern her, recalling that she simply replied “No problem” when Verhoeven described them. She also defended his work, calling “Showgirls” an incredible film, and discussed similarly intense preparation for Ryūsuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden”, for which she won an award at Cannes in May alongside Tao Okamoto after studying Japanese for the role.
In short
- Efira embraced “Benedetta”’s divisive reception.
- She said she trusted director Paul Verhoeven.
- Efira recently won a Cannes award for “All of a Sudden”.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Efira and Verhoeven represent the position that artistic courage requires freedom from self-censorship, and that controversy signals meaningful cultural engagement rather than safe mediocrity. They argue that authentic depictions of complex, sometimes uncomfortable realities—including sexual relationships and religious ambiguity—serve storytelling better than sanitised versions. From this view, the divided reactions to "Benedetta" reflect the work's refusal to compromise, and such provocation is precisely what distinguishes serious art from polite entertainment.
The case against
Critics maintain that artistic freedom and respect for religious tradition need not be opposed. They argue that explicit sexual depictions involving religious figures can constitute gratuitous offence rather than necessary artistic exploration, and that controversy alone fails to establish artistic merit. From this perspective, provocation serves art best when it illuminates genuine themes; shock for its own sake differs fundamentally from meaningful challenge, and audiences have legitimate grounds to question whether such works prioritise authentic storytelling or merely pursue attention through sensationalism.
Explained simply
Benedetta is a 2021 film by Dutch director Paul Verhoeven, set in a 17th-century Italian convent. Virginie Efira plays Benedetta Carlini, a nun whose relationship with another nun and claims of religious visions bring her under scrutiny.
The film drew protests and offence over its sexual depiction of two nuns. Its reception also connects to Verhoeven’s earlier work, including Showgirls, which divided critics and audiences when it was released.
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