How Long Is “My Normal”?

They say normal is a relative term, and Natalie (played by Nicole LaLiberte) has a different way of looking at the word than most folks in this independent comedy/drama from director Irving Schwartz. Natalie makes her living as a professional dominatrix, and while she and her colleagues at an upscale New York sex club generally insist they discipline their customers strictly for the cash, they don't exactly hate the work, and obviously like the money it brings in. But Natalie gains a new perspective on her career when she meets smart and sexy Jasmine (Dawn Noel Pignuola) and they fall into a relationship. Jasmine isn't comfortable with Natalie's profession, especially since she's convinced she likes whipping strange men more than she lets on. At Jasmine's urging, Natalie quits the sex club and begins pursuing her old dream of a career in the film industry. But Natalie discovers getting anywhere in the movie biz is a lot harder than punishing well-to-do businessmen, and while she was firmly in charge as a dominatrix, now she's at the bottom of the food chain in a field where the glass ceiling is high and the double standard is still the order of the day. My Normal was an official selection at the 2010 San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival.