A group of female nymphs enjoy the sunshine, dancing and playing together in naturalist esprit. A hirsute satyr emerges from the forest, causing them to flee like deer. One in the group stumbles, and is caught by the satyr, who carries her into the deep woods. There, they engage in various sex acts until the nymphs discover them, and the satyr is chased away.
EL SATARIO, discovered within the holdings of a Canadian film archive, is a work of unclear provenance, as we have no record of its personnel or production history. Dates between 1907 and 1932 have been suggested by historians, with most opinions leaning toward the earlier date, and it's generally agreed that it was filmed in Argentina, possibly Cuba. It has been more recently noted that a 1913 article by a German journalist mentions a stag film he'd viewed in Berlin, and his description strongly suggests that the film was EL SATARIO. This tacitly infers that a number of prints may have existed, and that their sub-rosa circulation spread far and wide.
Besides being one of the earliest surviving sex films, it's also notable as a prelusory monster movie, and it's almost certainly the first hybrid of both. It's more explicit than other extant stag films of its era, with close-up shots of genitals and fully visible penetration. It's primitive, as such material typically was(and, in many cases, still is), but it's a rare and fascinating specimen of antique erotic curiosa which demands preservation. That it survives today is something of a miracle, and its significance as a cultural artifact should not be minimized.
EL SATARIO, discovered within the holdings of a Canadian film archive, is a work of unclear provenance, as we have no record of its personnel or production history. Dates between 1907 and 1932 have been suggested by historians, with most opinions leaning toward the earlier date, and it's generally agreed that it was filmed in Argentina, possibly Cuba. It has been more recently noted that a 1913 article by a German journalist mentions a stag film he'd viewed in Berlin, and his description strongly suggests that the film was EL SATARIO. This tacitly infers that a number of prints may have existed, and that their sub-rosa circulation spread far and wide.
Besides being one of the earliest surviving sex films, it's also notable as a prelusory monster movie, and it's almost certainly the first hybrid of both. It's more explicit than other extant stag films of its era, with close-up shots of genitals and fully visible penetration. It's primitive, as such material typically was(and, in many cases, still is), but it's a rare and fascinating specimen of antique erotic curiosa which demands preservation. That it survives today is something of a miracle, and its significance as a cultural artifact should not be minimized.