I met Jean-Daniel Cadinot after producing Cappuccino, a mediocre song, sung by a matching vocalist. The problem was that it needed some success, and that meant a music video to make the track shine. Cadinot came to mind because I enjoy provoking an audience. I first was introduced to a Cadinot film by Gerhard Wuensche, of all people. He was living with his girlfriend Marina in Steglitz. Their routine was abysmally rigid. Marina would rise, bathe her slender self and then, wearing underwear for the sex-starved, she paraded through the flat as Gerhard struggled to survive her punches and tickles until he seemed fully awake, just in time for his first joint of the day. Breakfast consisted of fake orange juice, coffee and non-stop commentary from Marina, who then headed to her job at a dentist's office. I recall sleeping on their sofa a few times, but can't imagine what on earth possessed me to hang out with Gerhard.
He was a fun guy, once I got through the haze of his joints, but it wasn't that often that I did get through. Eventually, he excitedly introduced me to a Cadinot porn flick called 2eme Sous-Sol. It showed close-ups of acts which I was sure never happened, live or on film, in WIsconsin. Gerhard also showed me porn films by other directors., but Cadinot was the real thing - a filmmaker who happened to do porn, not a pornmaker trying to direct a film.
It was sometime later that I met Cadinot at his sprawling Paris home. I remember that his eyes danced throughout the many hours of our meeting. He and I weren't alone. The singer, Wolfboy, was there, as was Cadinot's boyfriend, smiling. There was a German man whose girth was more than substantial. He was a businessman and traveled by private jet. And then, lo and behold, there was the gorgeous twink star of a Cadinot film I saw courtesy of Gerhard, only a couple days earlier, and a still younger German blond, who flirted throughout. The wealthy man of great girth scoffed at my suggestion that Cadinot direct a non-porn music video. It would be as erotic as you can get without being banned from European tv, I explained. Cadinot embraced the idea, his eyes danced even more and we seemed to become instant pals.
He took me aside before the meeting ended and cautioned that music companies might not like the concept I had in mind, because Cadinot was so identified with porn. Two weeks later I found out he was right: the music company boss rejected any video directed by "that porn man."
Jean-Daniel Cadinot passed away in Paris on the 23rd of this month. He had suffered a heart attack.