Daniele Guerra

Mae West has always been a source of inspiration for me — fearless, funny, and unapologetically herself. The Mae West Project is a series of 18 short video reels, each one centered on a famous quote of hers, delivered directly to camera by four male actors wearing only underwear.
The choice to cast male performers in this way is intentional: it adds queerness, sensuality, irreverence, and a modern edge — just like Mae herself. It’s a playful, affectionate homage to her legacy and a celebration of her enduring message: that sexual freedom and self-expression are powerful, and still radically relevant.
Mae West was far ahead of her time. She wrote her own material, subverted gender norms, and always played characters who held power over men — a revolutionary stance for any woman, especially in the 1930s. Her work championed sexual empowerment and independence, while also celebrating the male body and unapologetic desire.
Her first film, She Done Him Wrong (adapted from her own play), smashed box office records and rescued Paramount Pictures from bankruptcy. Her second, I’m No Angel, was an even bigger hit. By 1935, Mae West was the highest-paid woman in the United States.
With razor-sharp wit and double entendres, she mocked puritanical values and exposed societal hypocrisy. Eventually, the censors shut down her film career — but she never stopped performing, continuing her work on stage, radio, and later on television.
Mae West was also one of the earliest mainstream entertainers to openly support the LGBTQ+ community. Her controversial 1927 play The Drag tackled themes of homosexuality, life in the closet, and even conversion therapy — culminating in an extravagant drag ball. She cast exclusively gay actors at a time when unions barred them from speaking roles. Although The Drag was a financial success, it was shut down and never made it to Broadway, as she had planned.
Over the decades, Mae West has rightfully become a gay icon — it’s no wonder. Her camp, her defiance, her innuendo, and her fearless persona feel deeply aligned with queer culture.
This project is a tribute — not only to her sharp wit and timeless charisma, but to her courage, her artistry, and her solidarity.
I was fortunate to work with a brilliant team, both in front of and behind the camera. I’m incredibly grateful to all who contributed.
“I believe that one day the world will judge the witch hunt against homosexuals just as harshly as it judges the Spanish Inquisition and the Holocaust”.
Mae West