The Studio "Private"

The studio Private, mentioned in the text, is one of the most influential companies in the production of pornographic content, its history closely tied to the development of that industry in Europe since the 1960s.

The company's origins

Private's history began in 1965, when the Swedish entrepreneur Berndt Milton founded a pornographic magazine of the same name in Stockholm. This publication was one of the first color magazines of its kind in Europe, and quickly gained popularity thanks to its high-quality printing and explicit content.

The elder Milton was a pioneer of the Swedish porn industry, which went through a period of liberalization in the 1960s and '70s. Sweden was among the first European countries to legalize pornography, creating favorable conditions for the development of the corresponding business.

The shift to video production

A fundamental change at the company came in 1991, when management passed to the founder's son, Berth Milton Jr. The new head made the strategic decision to expand the business both geographically and in scope. The company moved from Stockholm to Sant Cugat del Vallès, a suburb of Barcelona, Spain, and focused on producing video films.

This relocation was driven by several factors: Spain's more liberal legislation on producing erotic content, the availability of actors and technical specialists, and its favorable geographic position for distributing product across all of Europe.

The situation in the early 1990s

By 1993 — the year the novel is set — Private had already established itself as a producer of high-budget pornographic content. The company stood apart from its competitors through a professional approach to production: quality equipment, careful casting, thought-out scripts, and a high technical standard of filming.

During this period, Private was actively embracing the VHS cassette format, which revolutionized the adult industry. Videocassettes let consumers watch such content at home, significantly expanding the market. Private's output was distributed through a network of specialized video-rental shops and stores across Europe, including the countries of the former USSR, where demand for such content was especially high because of the restrictions that had preceded it.

Competitors and market position

Alongside Private, other major studios were active in the market, such as Vivid Entertainment and various producers under the "Magma" brand. Vivid, founded in the US in 1984, specialized in "glamour" pornography featuring contract stars. German studio Magma, which appeared in the late 1980s, is known for harder, more experimental content.

Private occupied a middle ground: its output was more sophisticated and artistically produced than the American mainstream, but less extreme than its German counterparts. This let the company find its own niche in the European market.

Technical quality and distribution

By the early 1990s, Private was already known for the high technical quality of its output. The use of professional equipment, quality lighting, and camera work set the studio's films apart favorably from the many amateur or semi-underground recordings that flooded the market as the video industry took shape.

The novel's mention of a cassette "watched down to black-and-white streaks" accurately captures the realities of the time: popular recordings were copied and re-copied many times over, causing significant degradation in picture quality. Original Private cassettes were valued precisely for their consistently high picture and sound quality.

The studio's stars

#	Performer	Stats	Career and biography	Awards and achievements
1	Anderson, Nikki Nikki Anderson Stage names: Nici Anderson, Nicki Anderson, Nikki Andersson, Nikky Andersson	Birth name: Hungarian, Nikoletta Prusinszky Date of birth: March 1, 1977 (age 48) or March 11, 1977 (age 48) Place of birth: Budapest, Hungary Nationality: Hungary Height: 168 cm Weight: – kg Measurements: 86-58-84 Bust: natural	Appeared in films by Pierre Woodman and Rocco Siffredi. In 1996, she attended a casting call with Pierre Woodman, which became her first sexual and cinematic experience. She appeared in many films between 1996 and 2004. Now lives in Budapest.	• Hot d'Or Best European New Starlet – 1997 • Hot d'Or Best European Actress – 1999, for L'enjeu du désir • Penthouse Pet of the Month – May 2000
2	Covet, Monique Monique Covét Stage names: Monique Covét, Monica Cairns, Monique Covee, Monique Covet, Monique Covét, Monica, Monika Spermalover, Monika Tanner, Monika Cancellieri	Birth name: Hungarian, Visi Monika Date of birth: July 14, 1976 (age 49) Place of birth: Budapest, Hungary Nationality: Hungary Height: 170 cm Weight: – kg Measurements: 32B-22-34 Bust: –	Was already working as a model in Budapest at 16. Her career in the adult industry began by chance at 18. Working in the porn industry since 1995. A fetish model. Identifies as bisexual.	• Venus Award – Best Actress (Europe) – 2001 • Venus Award – Best Eastern European Erotic Actress – 2002 • Berlin Erotic Film Festival – Jury Actress Award – 2004 • Brussels Erotic Film Festival European X Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award – 2004
3	Dark, Angel Angel Dark Stage names: Angel, Kristina Sutalo, Barbara, Dark Angel, Esmeralda, Esmerelda, Paulin, Pauline, Viktoria, Viktoria Cullison	Birth name: Slovak, Viktoria Knezová Date of birth: April 11, 1982 (age 42) Place of birth: Sobrance, Czechoslovakia Nationality: Slovakia Height: 174 cm Weight: 55 kg Measurements: – Bust: –	Of Roma or Italian descent. Worked as a bartender and buffet waitress in her youth. Began her porn career in 2002. Took a break in 2006 due to kidney failure, returned in 2010. Ended her career in 2015. Appeared in 319 adult films. Has lived in Los Angeles since 2011.	• FICEB Award: Ninfa – Best Starlet – 2005 • AVN Award – Foreign Female Performer of the Year (nomination) – 2006, 2007 • AVN Award – Foreign Female Performer of the Year – 2011 • Inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame – 2020
4	Evans, Sophie Sophie Evans Stage names: Sophie Evens, Sofie Evans, Sofia, Embarjulo, Sofia Evans, Sophia Evans, Sophie	Birth name: Zsofia Szabó Date of birth: February 20, 1976 (age 49) Place of birth: Szeged, Hungary Nationality: Hungary Height: 173 cm Weight: 56 kg Measurements: 36C-24-36 Bust: –	Began performing in adult films at 21. Active from 1997 to 2009. Appeared in 255 adult films over her career. Was married to porn actor Toni Ribas, divorced in 2005.	• FICEB – Best Actress – 2001 • AVN Awards – Foreign Female Performer of the Year (nomination) – 2003, 2004 • FICEB – Audience Choice Award (best actress) – 2003 • FICEB – Ninfa a toda una carrera (lifetime achievement) – 2007
5	Linares, Rebeca Rebeca Linares Stage names: Rebeca Linares	Birth name: Verónica Bazan Date of birth: June 13, 1983 (age 41) Place of birth: San Sebastián, Spain Nationality: Spain Height: 157 cm Weight: 51 kg Measurements: 34D-26-34 Eye color: black Hair color: chestnut	Born in San Sebastián, lived for a long time in Barcelona. Performing in adult films since 2006. Chose the stage name Rebeca as "short and very strong." Moved to Los Angeles in March 2006. Had appeared in 584 films as of 2019.	• FICEB Ninfa – Best Actress (IodineGirl) – 2007 • AVN Award – Best Threeway Sex Scene (Tori Black Is Pretty Filthy) – 2010 • Penthouse Pet of the Month – March 2009
6	Mayo, Anastasia Anastasia Mayo Stage names: Anastasia Dreams, Sandy	Birth name: Susana Plané Aguilar Date of birth: April 17, 1980 (age 45) Place of birth: L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain Nationality: Spain Measurements: 86-60-87 Bust: silicone Eye color: brown Hair color: brunette/blonde	Began a career as a go-go dancer at 15. Discovered by director Max Cortes at the FICEB festival in 2002. Filmed for Private and Evil Angel with Nacho Vidal and Rocco Siffredi. Stopped filming porn in 2011. Appeared in approximately 50 adult films in total.	• Ninfa Award – Best Starlet – 2004 • European X Award – Best Actress – 2004 • Ninfa Award – Best Actress (Audience Choice) – 2008 • Ninfa Award nominations – 2005, 2006
7	Sweetheart, Monica Monica Sweetheart Stage names: Ariel, Jennifer, Linda, Monic, Monica Ravenheart, Monica Sweetearth, Monica Tore, Monika, Monika Listopadova, Monika Magnus	Birth name: Czech, Monika Rakoczyova (or Monika Listopadová) Date of birth: June 23, 1981 (age 43) Place of birth: Beroun, Czech Republic Nationality: Czech Republic Height: 175 cm Weight: 48 kg Hair color: chestnut Eye color: blue	Began performing in hardcore porn in Prague at 18. Worked with well-known studios: Private, Vivid, Hustler, Pure Play Media, Diabolic Video, New Sensations, Platinum X Pictures, Elegant Angel, and Red Light District. Appeared in 545 adult films from 1999 to 2014, including the "My Plaything" series.	• FICEB Ninfa Award, Best Supporting Actress – 2001, for Face Dance Obsession • AVN Award nominations: Best New Starlet (2002), Foreign Actress of the Year (2004), Best Group Sex Scene (2005), Best POV Sex Scene (2007) • XRCO Award nomination, Best New Starlet – 2002
8	Saint, Silvia Silvia Saint Stage names: Silvia Saint	Birth name: Czech, Sylvie Tomčalová Date of birth: February 12, 1976 (age 49) Place of birth: Kyjov, Hodonín, South Moravian Region, Czechoslovakia Nationality: Czech Republic Height: 165 cm Weight: 50 kg Measurements: 90-58-88 Eye color: blue Hair color: blonde	Studied management before entering the industry, worked as a hotel manager in Zlín. Photos published in Penthouse in 1996. First film shot in Prague for Private Media. Spent more than 3 years working in the American scene. Left the porn business in 2000. Appeared in more than 260 films.	• Penthouse Pet of the Year – 1996 • People's Choice Adult Award – Best Newcomer – 1997 • AVN Award – Best Tease Performance – 1997 • Hot d'Or – Best Tease Performance – 2000 • FICEB – Ninfa Best Actress – 2004, 2005
9	Venter, Dora Dora Venter Stage names: Dora Wenter, Dora Neuter, Melinda Gaal, Dora Ventor, Claudia Wenström, Mélinda Gal, Melinda Gale, Melinda Jensen, Barbie Star	Birth name: Hungarian, Gál Melinda Date of birth: October 1, 1976 (age 48) Place of birth: Salgótarján, Hungary Nationality: Hungary Height: 156 cm Weight: 45 kg Measurements: 84-58-84 Bust: natural	Debuted in adult films in 2000, worked for Private and Marc Dorcel. Private shot a film in her honor, "The Private Life of Dora Venter." Known for appearing in hardcore anal, oral, group-sex, and double-penetration scenes. Appeared in 178 films in total. Off camera, works as a nurse in a hospital.	• Barcelona International Erotic Film Festival – Best Supporting Actress, for La Memoria de los peces – 2004 • AVN Awards, Best Sex Scene in a Foreign Shot Production – 2007
10	Wild, Michelle Michelle Wild Stage names: Michelle Wild, Katia, Michelle Wilde, Michele Wild, Timea	Birth name: Hungarian, Vad Katalin Date of birth: January 16, 1980 (age 45) Place of birth: Budapest, Hungary Nationality: Hungary Height: 170 cm Weight: 50 kg Measurements: 101-61-91 Bust: large, natural	After finishing school in 1999, worked as a phone-sex operator and a stripper. Began performing in XXX films in 2001, with her first film, Sex Opera. Appeared in more than 70 adult films, mainly for Private. Left the porn industry in 2004 after the birth of her daughter. Now appears in TV series on Hungarian television.	• Venus Awards – Best Actress (Hungary) – 2003 • Barcelona International Erotic Film Festival, Ninfa Award – Best Supporting Actress (Hot Rats) – 2003 • European X Award – Best Actress (Germany) – 2004 • AVN Award – Best Striptease Scene (Crack Her Jack 1) – 2004

Cultural influence

By 1993, Private's output had become part of youth subculture at educational institutions across Europe. Cassettes circulated through dormitories, passed "from hand to hand," and became the object of group viewing, exactly as depicted in the novel. This was especially characteristic of the former socialist-bloc countries, where such content had long been unavailable.

Private's success laid the foundation for the further development of the European adult industry, and set quality standards that persist to this day.