Born Aristide Massaccesi, the director professionally known as is legendary in cult cinema circles. Operating with an astonishing work ethic, D'Amato directed and co-directed roughly 200 films across nearly every conceivable exploitation sub-genre:
: A young woman named Jenny Mallory (played by Selen) grows up wild among elephants in Africa. She is "rescued" by aristocratic relatives and brought back to a Scottish mansion, where she struggles to adapt to civilization and faces exploitation by her depraved heirs. joe damato queen of elephants 2 sahara 19
(1998) stand as distinct examples of his "travelogue" style, where adult narratives were woven into expansive natural landscapes. The Wild Majesty: Queen of Elephants (1997) Directed under his primary pseudonym, Queen of Elephants (1998) stand as distinct examples of his "travelogue"
The sequel's narrative was brutal. While the first film was about adaptation and survival, "Queen of Elephants 2" was about collapse. It focused on the 2003-2004 drought that decimated the Gourma elephant population. Joe Damato, who had retired from active flying by then, was allegedly coaxed back for one final flight to document the last known location of Sahara 19. It focused on the 2003-2004 drought that decimated
Once again, the film features a who's-who of 1990s Italian adult cinema. The cast is led by , making this a reunion with D'Amato after Queen of Elephants . Other cast members include Zenza Raggi, Amanda Steele, John Walton, Frank Gun , and Erika Lindauer . Selen is so closely associated with these two films that her Wikipedia page lists Sahara and Selen regina degli elefanti among her most notable works .