Checking In with Lena Paul, Star of Pure Taboo’s “Airtight Invasion”

Lena Breathes Deeply

Lena Paul wrote and stars in Pure Taboo's "Airtight Invasion" directed by Bree Mills. It is a very intense scene with serious hardcore sex including double penetration and, as the title says, airtight action.

Of writing the scene, Paul said in a statement: "It was my desire to thread the needle of empowering women while also placing my character in a seemingly dangerous or degrading setting to talk about how this juxtaposition can feel both complicated and pleasurable for viewers.....I hope, in the end, that Airtight Invasion will continue our industry’s conversations about female empowerment and representation."

Paul rules.

Here's our interview.

So how are you, Lena? How are things?

"I'm doing so well, thank you! I kept saying at the beginning of this year that I was going to start to slow down my shooting schedule to focus more on other burgeoning business avenues going on in my life (all porn related, no one panic!) but I seem to have done exactly the opposite! I can't seem to stop myself from saying yes to all the lovely projects I've been approached with this year, I think I just love the job too much!"

Your new Pure Taboo scene is super hot and very compelling. What did you enjoy most about performing the scene?
"This is a tough question for me because I loved every second of the day. Everyone was attuned to each other's rhythms; the day ran so smoothly but it was probably one of the most memorable days of my professional life thus far."

Is the hardcore sex you have in this something that you enjoy a lot of in your personal life or is it something that you save more for your performing life?
"I would say that this was very much "special occasion sex" in some senses for me, as I definitely don't go back home to my little house in the countryside and routinely invite random men over to DP me (although I did do that one time in my pre-performing days, come to think of it...) but at the same time the sex was the kind that I very much enjoy. My life partner's sexual style is definitely more aggressive, so while I enjoy that type of sex very much, I think I seek out scenes where I play the dominant role just to have variety in my life. To me, the sex I had in this scene was much more reflective of the sexual deviance I feel shy showing on camera at times, I feel very...exposed, I want to say? When I'm filmed that deeply in sub space. It was a vulnerable moment for me, but I liked the exercise of that"

What did you find most challenging about writing this scene?
"I like pushing my limits for the sake of pushing my limits. I've dived off waterfalls, solo hiked through jungles, said I love you, all the crazy scary stuff we do to make ourselves feel alive. So in a way, I think my inner voice spoke to me when asked about doing a serious, kind of gritty piece for Bree and Pure Taboo about making this something more personal. I'm very private about my past traumas, not out of shame but just personal preference, so I've never really felt it appropriate to tell my story simply because it didn't seem relevant. I think in my heart I knew it was the time and place to tell my story finally and I was shocked with how calm I felt doing that."

What do you enjoy most about working for Pure Taboo?
"The freedom of expression I'm given, the platform to occupy a serious and thoughtful space that I don't think has been readily available in pornography before. I snicker and joke all the time when people wax rhetorical about porn as art, but in my heart of hearts, I do crave a space for serious expressions of sexuality, not just campy and light-hearted or soft and airbrushed. I feel Pure Taboo has really paved the way for a more serious space in the mainstream."

Your scenes are consistently super. What do you think is the most important factor in making a great porn scene?
"Be present. Don't think about the appointments you have after this, what you need to do tomorrow; let all of that go and try to connect with another human being for an hour or two. I enjoy the meditative qualities of sex as performance and the exercise of finding something desirable in every person I'm cast with. You can absolutely tell the difference between the performers who are really there in the moment trying to connect with you to show the camera something genuine as opposed to those who are just there to get paid and go home."

How did you cast your scene partners in this?
"My thought process was really about narrowing down the list of male performers that I love working with consistently (and all of them are in that category) and male performers who play nicely with others in group scenes. It was very important to me that I cast guys who had the ability to be comfortable with each other while doing an extremely difficult scene and I think they brilliantly demonstrated their professionalism throughout our very long and cold 14 hour day in that garage! The logistics of having sex in a garage with no real furniture other than an ottoman and a poker table was a pretty impressive feat and I give them all the credit for that."

What are you proudest of about how this came out?
"Oh my god, I love everything about this project. I think my proudest moment was when we had finished the sex portion of the episode and the big climactic moment happens where I finally get my vengeance (I don't want to give too many details away, you have to watch for yourself!) -- at that moment when cut was called everyone burst into applause! Facing my nightmare and changing its outcome and doing all of that while deeply in sub space was an extremely personal moment and I genuinely felt a kind of healing energy in their supportiveness. Everyone was so sweet and really seemed to understand how much the ending had meant something to me. I definitely got misty eyed, I must admit!"

So what else is coming up for you?
"If I can ever convince myself to ease up on performing (I just genuinely love having absurd amounts of sex for a living), I'm working in partnership with some foundations and professionals to educate and guide incoming performers in the financial and business aspects of adult industry performance. There's not a lot of dedicated professionals in business services for sex workers. I firmly believe that good financial management is a form of self care that is especially important for many of the young women who enter our business, some with few previous professional experiences. and who may feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of self-management."

Is there anything you would like to say to your fans here at Fleshbot?
"The outreach of support and warmth regarding this project from fans has both shocked and touched me deeply. Thank you for receiving my story with open arms and thank you for the continued love you send me."

All of the images and video here appear courtesy of Pure Taboo. Click right here to watch all of Paul's scenes over at Pure Taboo!

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