by choice or by force? • decriminalization • adolescent prostitution • prostitution and military bases • violence, exploitation and moralism
ASIA
Olongapo (Philippines 1981)
Slideshow, in English
Made by Asian Social Institute (ASI)
Distributor: Asian Social Institute (Philippines)
Olongapo is a city in the Philippines where one of the largest U.S. military bases in the world is located. This slideshow explores the involvement of women in the "rest and recreation industry," which dominates the local economy. Issues such as sexual harassment and violence, drug addiction, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted disease, abortion, and illegitimate children are discussed.
AUSTRALIA AND THE PACIFIC
St. Therese (Australia 1978)
Film, 16 mm, color, in English
Made by Daniela Torsh
Distributor: Sydney Filmmakers Cooperative (Australia)
Terry is a street survivor. She cruises around Kings Cross "cracking it" (prostitution) when she can. She goes into the "boob" (prison) to serve her warrants and an old conflict with a "screw" (prison officer) is renewed. The film is based on the experiences of women in New South Wales prisons.
EUROPE
Un Mai Necessaire (France 1980)
(A Necessary Evil)
Videocassette, 1/2 in., 22 min., b/w, in French
Made by Mouvement Francais pour le Planning Familial - Isere
Distributor: Documentation Confederale (France)
Starting with an interview with Nadia, a prostitute in the city of Grenoble, this film raises questions about prostitution in general and describes the local population's reactions to Nadia and her work.
Les Prostitutes de Lyons Parlent (France 1975)
(The Prostitutes of Lyons Speak Out)
Video, U-matic, 3/4 in., b/w, 40 min., in French
Made by Carole Roussopoulos
Distributor: Centre Audiovisuel Simone de Beauvoir (France)
In 1975, a group of women prostitutes occupied the Saint-Nizier Church in the southeastern French city of Lyons. In this audiovisual, these women discuss their personal histories, their relationship to society and their professional demands as prostitutes.
Utopia (West Germany)
Film, 198 min., color, in German
Made by Sohrab Shahid Saless
Producer: Multimedia Gesellschaft fur Audiovisuelle Information with Ullstein Television of Hamburg
Distributors: Cine-International Filmvertrieb (West Germany) and Basis Filmverleih (West Germany)
Utopia is a realistic portrayal of life in West German prostitution rings. Based on research and interviews with both prostitutes and their pimps, the film tells the story of five prostitutes employed in a brothel called "Club Arena," including the circumstances that forced them into the business and continue to keep them there. Finally, the film shows the women breaking away from dependency on their pimps and freeing themselves from their violent abuses. This film was awarded the Berlin Silver Bear prize in 1974.
Baby Sex - Forbidden Ground (West Germany)
Film, 92 minutes, color, in German
Made by Otto Retzer, Claudia Wutz and Gerhard Heinz
Producer: Otto Retzer Produktion
Distributors: Eginhart Hillenbrand (West Germany) and Tivoli-Film (West Germany)
One of the first authentic film reports about adolescent prostitution in West Germany, Baby Sex reveals both the outward glamor and the inward despair and exploitation that characterize life in a number of West Germany's red light districts. Shot on location in Hamburg, Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt and Cologne, the film combines interviews with documentary footage, providing us with shocking insights into the fantasies and abuses of that average German male client.
Taking a Part (England 1979)
Film, 50 min., color, in English
Made by Jan Worth
Distributors: Cinema of Women (England) and Sydney Filmmakers Cooperative (Australia)
This film radically challenges both the usual treatment of prostitution as a criminal, extraordinary area of social relations and the generally sociological or voyeuristic approach of documentaries. It deals with the experiences of two working class women who came to London at an early age, both of whom have been engaged in prostitution.
Jornadas de Servicios Sociales (Spain 1984)
(Social Service Days)
Video, 3/4 in., 45 min., color, in Spanish
Made by Megavision and Instituto de la Mujer
Distributor: Instituto de la Mujer - Taller Audiovisuales (Spain)
A documentary video, this audiovisual combines interviews with background information to describe the conditions of Spanish women living on the streets, including petty criminals, prostitutes and destitute women.
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Mangue (Brazil 1979)
Documentary film, 16 mm, 20 min., color, in Portuguese
Made by Celia Resende
Distributor: Grupo Femenino de Pesquisa Cinematografica (Brazil)
This film was shot in Mangue, a red-light district of Rio de Janeiro. It deals with the issue of prostitution.
Mulheres da Boca (Brazil 1982)
(Streetwalkers)
Documentary film, 16 mm, 22 min., color, in Portuguese
Made by Ines Castilho
Distributors: Cinema Distribucao Independente (Brazil) and Women Make Movies (USA)
Deals with prostitution in the "block of sin," the red light district located in the center of Sao Paulo. Made from a woman's point of view, the film explores the intimate details of the world of prostitution and the lives of the women involved in it. This film won the best film award at the 11th Brazilian Day of Short Films in 1982.
No Es por Gusto (Mexico 1981)
(It Wasn't My Idea)
Documentary film, 16 mm, in Spanish
Made by Maricarmen De Lara and Maria Eugenia Tames
Distributor: contact Centro de Mujeres para la Produccion Audiovisual (Mexico)
This film describes the daily life of some of Mexico's poorest prostitutes, focusing on the kind of repression and difficulties they face. In interviews with the filmmakers, these women discuss their feelings of helplessness, describe what it is like to be unemployed and talk about how it is that they were first forced to turn to prostitution in order to survive.
NORTH AMERICA
Ain't Nobody's Business (USA 1977)
Documentary film, 16 mm., 52 min., color, in English
Made by the all-women crew of Mountain Moving Picture Company
Distributor: Mountain Moving Picture Company (USA)
This film is a documentary about female prostitution featuring scenes with six different prostitutes, a male member of the vice squad, and activist Margo St. James, as well as footage from the First World Meeting of Prostitutes held in Washington, DC in June 1976.
The Exotic Dancing Industry (Canada 1984)
Video, 30 min., in English
Made by Manitoba Action Committee on the Status of Women
Distributor: Manitoba Action Committee on the Status of Women (MACSW) (Canada)
This film shows what the life of an "exotic" dancer is really like. It includes interviews with three women and the views of a prominent feminist.
SEE ALSO
Other resources that address the themes of this chapter are listed below. The chapters where they may be found are given in boldface type.
WORLDWIDE
Empowering Women for Development
La Mujer en el Tercer Mundo - prostitution
EUROPE
Identity, Roles and Relationships
In the Name of the Mother and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen (Italy) - prostitution
Sexual Violence
Security or Subjugation? (Northern Ireland) - women in pnson
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Identity, Roles and Relationships
Simplemente Jenny (Bolivia) - prostitution
NORTH AMERICA
Our Work
The Dozens (USA) - women in prison