Madonna, the queen of pop, the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century, record producer, fashion designer, and author of children' books, has now tried her hand at film direction.

At the Berlin film festival, one of Europe's most celebrated film festivals, Madonna was present as the director, co-writer, and executive producer for the world premiere of the 80-minute-long film titled Filth and Wisdom.

According to media reports, the screening of Filth and Wisdom on the morning of February 13, 2008, has not been received well by critics.

At a press conference, Madonna said she was contemplating releasing her movie on the internet. She was quoted as saying, “It's quite exciting because it's a non-conventional way for a film to be seen and I like doing things in a non-conventional way.”

Madonna explained that her movie was about the duality of life. "It is," she added,“ also about the struggle with that duality. Filth and wisdom is the ultimate duality. You can learn and find enlightenment in either place.”

Eugene Hutz, lead singer of New York Gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello, plays the main character of the movie.

Filth and Wisdom is a morality tale of sorts. Its message apparently is that, "in order to be good and wise, we all need a bit of filth in our lives."

Eugene Hutz plays the role of a philosophizing escort who beats up grateful clients and spanks a newspaper reader. Other characters include a chemist's shop worker, who thieves, and a ballet dancer who is forced to lap dance.

Madonna's own song Erotica and Britney Spears' Baby One More Time are used in the movie.

When journalists asked her whether she was attracted to the Gypsy lifestyle, Madonna replied, "I think, secretly, I want to be a Gypsy. I love the idea of traveling round and playing music and letting life unfold in a spontaneous way."

In her program notes, Madonna writes, "When the film was finished, I realized that the three main characters were all aspects of me so the whole experience was both artistic and therapeutic. I have always been inspired by the films of Goddard, Passolini, and Fellini and hope that I may one day make something that comes close to their genius."

Madonna also revealed that she had just finished producing a documentary about the African country of Malawi, from where she adopted her son. The documentary will be screened at the Cannes film festival in France.