Emmanuelle was the world’s first ever mainstream soft-porn film. Described by the then head of the British Board of Film Censors as “the first film (of its genre) that didn’t play to the raincoat brigade”, its success lay in the combination of exotic locations, high production values and a narrative story line that gave cohesion to the sex scenes. It ran for 13 years in one Parisian cinema, made Sylvia Kristel an overnight star and redefined what was acceptable to be depicted on screen. In Emmanuelle: A Hard Look, Alex Cox traces the genesis of the film and its effect on sex in the cinema. It focuses on the early films, featuring clips from the first four in the series, the successful spin off programme Black Emanuelle and of course Britain’s very own spoof, Carry On Emmannuelle.