If the divine Marquis de Sade was reincarnated today, he would inevitably be surprised. The wildest fantasies that he magnified in his writings would be quite outmoded, as though time had accelerated at a great speed.

The ""happy-few"" aspect of the sadomasochistic relations, the fashions that have had a great impact on the population, make these practices seem somewhat commonplace. A number of magazines and films recount these sexual adventures with complete honesty. The enthusiasts are no longer exceptions: they are part of our society, among our neighbours and colleagues.

Beyond the stereotypes of women in leather boots with a whip in hand, they discover the pleasures of pain. It is a sexuality where pleasure looses its codification since procreation is no longer the goal. The search for sexual fulfilment in a protected society becomes for many a major preoccupation for the expression of one's existence.