How Sex Scenes in Film Can Reshape Real Intimacy, With Intimacy Coordinator Ita O’Brien
About this episode
The episode discusses the impact of intimacy coordinators on the portrayal of sex in film and its implications for real-life intimacy.
Intimacy coordinators have irreversibly transformed how we portray sex on screen, and they are not without their detractors. In the wake of MeToo, Ita O’Brien’s work as a top intimacy coordinator on Normal People, Sex Education and I May Destroy revolutionised how actors, directors and audiences think about sex, consent and physical storytelling. In this episode, journalist Olivia Petter speaks with O'Brien about how sex on screen has evolved, why these roles have become a flashpoint for wider debates about artistic freedom, and how set practices and lessons from choreography can apply to real life intimacy. The conversation broadens beyond the screen to ask what intimacy means in contemporary life. From the rise of AI companions and virtual relationships to the importance of touch, embodiment and human connection, O'Brien argues that understanding our physical selves is more important than ever. --- Ita O'Brien is the UK's leading intimacy coordinator. She has worked on productions including Normal People, Sex Education and I May Destroy You, and is the author of Intimacy. Olivia Petter is a journalist, author and broadcaster whose work explores relationships, gender and…
People in this episode
Host: Olivia Petter
Guest: Ita O’Brien
Topics covered
- intimacy coordination
- sex on screen
- MeToo movement
- artistic freedom
- real life intimacy
- human connection
- AI companions
Keywords
- intimacy
- sex scenes
- film
- consent
- choreography
- human connection
- AI relationships
- MeToo
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Intelligence Squared
Books & works: Normal People, Sex Education, I May Destroy You
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