The Handmaiden: Rewriting Sapphic Sex on Screen

Two intimacy coordinators break down the sapphic sex scenes in The Handmaiden and how the film rewrites queer intimacy on screen.This episode is a love letter to immaculate choreography, devastating eye contact, and enough sapphic tension to power a small city.Ariel and Morgan dive into the two iconic intimacy scenes from Park Chan-wook's The Handmaiden — scenes so explicit, so intentional, and so beautifully constructed that they still feel radical nearly a decade later.In this episode:How the film uses restraint, pacing, and POV to build erotic tensionWhy a simple hand-grip deserves its own IMDb creditHow sapphic sex is framed as joy, discovery, and mutual power, not performanceWhy this might be one of the best examples of the female gaze in modern cinemaA masterclass in storytelling through intimacyAriel and Morgan also unpack the behind-the-scenes approach to filming the intimacy, the deliberate removal of the male gaze, and why The Handmaiden remains a gold standard for what intimate storytelling can look like when trust and intention lead the way.It's sexy, funny, deeply thoughtful, and a reminder that sometimes the most radical thing a movie can do is let women actually enjoy each other.Watch along timestamps:First scene: 41:47 – 46:56Second scene: 1:39:53 – 1:44:00Subscribe for bi-weekly behind the scenes breakdowns of film and TV's most iconic sex scenes.CreditsThe Handmaiden (2016) | Director: Park Chan-wook | Moho Film / Yong FilmHashtags#TheHandmaiden #ParkChanwook #SapphicCinema #FemaleGaze #IntimacyCoordinatorSupport the showConnect & Support the Show Watch video versions on Spotify and YouTube. Suggest a Scene & Get Bonus Content: Join our Patreon to request scenes and unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Follow Us: Instagram & TikTok @FakingItThePod Website: FakingItThePod.com Theme Song: Faking It by Mike GoetzSubscribe & Review Never miss an episode — subscribe wherever you listen. Love the show? A 5-star rating helps other listeners find us.Stay real, Fakers.For entertainment and educational purposes only. All trademarks and copyrights remain with their respective owners.