Having established itself as a production house of art films, Denmark's Zentopa Entertainments - jointly owned by Lars von Trier and Peter Aalbaek-Jensen - was looking for another genre to add to its profile. "Porn came up quite naturally," said Aalbaek-Jensen, who was at the European Film Market. "Most hardcore productions look exactly the same, so it was professionally tempting to see how it could be developed."

Puzzy Power, the new company they set up with Zentropa Entertainments' manager of legal affairs, Lene Børglum - herself a former pornographic model - will initially shoot films directly for video distribution.

"To make different hardcore was more difficult than we thought, so we will rehearse for the small screen, before we go theatrical," Aalbaek-Jensen said. "Von Trier is himself interested in directing a feature according to the Dogma 95 manifesto."

In less than two months, Constance, the $450,000 debut film from Puzzy Power, has sold 20,000 high-price units in the Danish market, partly through retail chains and partly through the Internet (www.puzzypower.com).

Directed by Knud Vesterskov and starring newcomers Katja Kean, Anaïs, Niels Dencker and Playgirl coverboy Mark Duran, it is the story of a young woman who finds the diary of her great grandmother, in which she describes her sexual initiation.

Aalbaek-Jensen said he expected that the production costs for Constance would be recouped on Scandinavian sales alone. Puzzy Power's second title, Teasing Theresa, will shoot from March for a September release. Jørn Rossing Jensen