For a long time it was as certain as the Amen in the church that films of a certain genre would be on the index. Besides rape and revenge (“The last house on the left”) and uncompromising vigilante rioters (“A man sees red”) most cannibal films also struggled to get the green light in Germany. But even the battle records, which often spiral out of control when it comes to violence, are now gradually being reinstated, as evidenced by the recent deletion of “Mondo Cannibale”. New movies of the genre – such as “The Green Inferno” by “Hostel” director Eli Roth – are likely to be released in full-length right away.
An FSK 18 is usually the lower limit for cannibals. What’s even more amazing: The FSK has now released “Papaya – The Love Goddess of Cannibals” from the age of 16 – 15 years after the index was lifted. The unabridged version of the film by cult director Joe D’Amato (“Nackt unter Kannibalen”, “Black Emanuelle”) was on the index in Germany from 1982 to 2007 and was not even allowed to be publicly advertised or sold. After the film has since been released in abbreviated form for the home cinema market, “Papaya” is now even available in full length from 16. Times change…
It remains to be seen if there will be a new home theater release of the film – possibly even with improved image and sound quality or as a limited collector’s edition – he follows. After an FSK re-examination, the announcement of an uncut edition is usually not far off.
In “Papaya – The Cannibals’ Love Goddess”, Joe D’Amato mixes two ingredients that he especially liked to combine over the course of his career, which has brought to light nearly 200 films: sex and violence. It’s not as exaggerated as in other full-blooded horror shockers (e.g., “Zombies Among the Cannibals”), but anyone who has a problem with masses of blood and guts should still avoid “The Love Goddess of the Cannibals.” There are plenty of those, like the comparison between the cut and uncut version indicates. Yet you have to approach the film with the right expectations: because the unpretentious horror is contrasted with an extra dose of soft eroticism.
And that’s what “Papaya – The Love Goddess of Cannibals” is all about: Vincent (Maurice Poli) and his wife Sara (Sirpa Lane) want to do their research on a dreamy Caribbean island and build a power plant – something the locals don’t like at all. When they meet the tribe’s so-called love goddess, the young Papaya (Melissa Chimenti), they are introduced to the dark rituals of the people. And slowly Vincent, who is certainly not the first engineer to visit the island for the planned project, realizes what happened to his predecessors…