A Portrait of Prostitution, Told in Six Intimate Parts
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A portrait© eentweedee produksies of prostitution, 2011 www.een2dee.co.za told in six intimate parts. We will be using the term sex workers throughout for the sake of consistency but this should not be taken as an argument for the decriminalization of sex work just as the use of the word prostitute should not be taken as an argument for the criminalization of the same trade. ex is an integral part of every human’s life. Whether having it, not having it, wanting it, not wanting it, talking about it, learning about it, we all have a relationship, opinions and expectations around sex. Prostitution, providing sexual service for another person in return for payment, has Sbeen present in every culture in recorded history and continues to operate around the world today. What for most people is a personal practice, for a group of individuals is a trade. Since 1994 there has been an ongoing debate in South Africa about how best to protect the human rights of sex workers. At present the South African Law Reform Commission is reviewing four proposals ranging across the spectrum from full criminalization to full decriminalization. Whilst attending a research forum around these issues earlier last year it struck me that in a room full of erudite and informed experts on this subject, from a variety of disciplines – department of health, NGO’s, academics – there was not one sex worker amongst them. The sex work trade is clearly not going to be eradicated and those who are working in this industry are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. It is a subject highly worthy of debate to find the best possible policy solution but shouldn’t we be hearing from those who are actively involved in it? I decided I wanted to use my skills as a documentary maker to give six sex workers in Cape Town a platform for their voices. Intentions, argument and social justice The storytellers - SIXxSEX is a narrative feature documentary set in Cape Town, South Africa, profiling six sex workers. I do not want to enter into this project with a ready formed argument as to what sex workers need to better their working conditions and lives. I want to give six sex workers the opportunity to talk frankly about their experiences, what they see as problematic in their working situation and what changes, if any, they would like to see made. From this an argument towards policy development may form but I want to allow the space for this to develop organically rather than imposing a particular view. Giving a balanced view of the sex industry is a priority for the film. Sex workers are not all working in the same contexts and their experiences and needs will vary vastly according to their different situations. The high earner with her well-known client base and appointments that may well involve partnering a client at a social event leading to an entire night spent together is in a very different position to the street worker performing mainly oral sex for entirely unknown clients in fifteen minute sessions. A young man arrives in Cape Town with no job or place to stay and finds himself housed and fed by sexual partners. Ultimately these partners become clients as the nature of their relationship becomes so clearly transactional and our young man is in © eentweedee produksies 2011 www.een2dee.co.za 1 his own very particular set of sex work circumstances. The foreign national who turns to sex work through the negotiations of a pimp because she battles to find other work; the young township girl looking for some fast cash, again come with their own distinct contexts and issues. The sixth story I want to include is that of a sex worker who has left the industry. I have a feeling the combination of personal experience along with the greater detachment her position allows will offer a valuable insight into the concerns of the trade. The film will seek to accurately and respectfully represent the specific world of each of these six people, finding the places where their experiences overlap and where they diverge; where their feelings towards their work and lives coincides and where they differ. The audience – I want this film to give a human face to people who the public know nothing about. I want to present the stories in a way that is dignified and fair, which allows the audience to recognise the fellow humanity in these six people and hopefully through this to possibly shift preconceptions or blanket judgements. If this can help to shape thinking around policy development that would be a wonderful outcome but my main intention is to allow the people’s stories to speak as fully as they can for themselves, whatever complexities and contradictions they may throw up. I would like to think the film will offer valuable insight for policy makers but primarily I hope that it will get individuals in the audience relating directly to the stories of the six sex workers and interrogating the issues surrounding the sex work industry. The film will seek to represent the aspects of these six people’s lives which are shared by all people – the daily living of getting up, eating, walking, shopping, which everyone does. Sex workers are not a breed a part but people who are active in our society in the same way as people of other professions are. This will be the common thread to link all six people to one another and finally to the film’s audience. Making of the film Initial contact - Sex workers willing to participate in the documentary will be found through SWEAT and in the case of the male prostitute possibly Health For Men. An initial meeting will establish what the respondents are comfortable with in terms of filming: whether they want to reveal their faces or not and which questions they are happy to answer. It will also serve to find out as much information as possible regarding the habits and movements of our subjects; to help us plan a suitable amount of filming time. A large part of our interest is in what our subjects do when they are not working and in the feel, places, moods peculiar to their lives. It will be important to establish how much of their homes, work places and daily journeys they are willing to let us film. Conversations - To get each respondent talking we will ask questions divided into six sets (listed in the synopsis). The aim of these questions is firstly to get a real sense of the humanity of each of the people; the texture of their lives and secondly, through asking each person the same set of questions to explore the contrasting and overlapping experiences and opinions of sex workers in different contexts. © eentweedee produksies 2011 www.een2dee.co.za 2 Style My documentary making is slick and edgy – drawing on a popular culture style of film making, I use pacey cutting, beautiful images and a carefully chosen soundtrack. This makes for a package which is accessible, aesthetically pleasing and highly engaging, particularly for younger audiences. The content however is the priority and I am aiming for substantial, nuanced and detailed portrayals of the six stories with my filmmaking style providing an enticing sweet wrapper for the rich narratives of the documentary. The visual narrative will of course be as key as the stories the respondents tell with their voices. Those who are not willing to reveal their faces will be shot synecdochally: hands, feet walking, close ups on the fabric of their clothes, handbags, items in their homes. But whether they reveal their faces or not, visually there will be a strong emphasis on showing the personal habits and rituals of their lives that are common to most people: switching on lights, brushing teeth, cooking, shopping, driving, catching public transport. Audience appeal The topic of course has social and political relevance but it is also a subject that will titillate audiences. Rather like the stylistic sweet wrapper I spoke of earlier, I don’t want to deny the sexiness and intrigue value of a documentary on sex work but use this superficial draw card to entice audiences into a deeper engagement with the stories of our six respondents. Once we have them captive the emphasis on humanity in combination with actively working against a moralising tone should make the six conversations communicate effectively to viewers. Potential markets • The film could be offered to NGO’s like SWEAT to aid in decision making around law reform. • Mzanzi | SABC 1 regularly screens documentaries and this film has a profile which would be attractive to their programming mandate. • We would submit to documentary festivals locally and internationally. Well-made and with relevant content, the film should be readily accepted. © eentweedee produksies 2011 www.een2dee.co.za 3 SYNOPSIS The documentary will follow six different sex workers from different economic backgrounds and working in distinct contexts. These six conversations are further divided into six sets of questions as starting points to explore the respondents’ work and lifestyles. SIX QUESTIONS FOR SIX SEX WORKERS 1. Good morning - Introduction: questions to find out basic personal details around marital status, whether or not they have children and background, as well as a sense of the person’s self-regard. Then, quite simply, what are the rituals with which they start each day? 2. Home sweet home - Drawing a picture of their home lives. 3. All in a day’s work - This would make up the body of the narrative: practical questions around their work, logistics, presentation, payment, as well as their feelings and experiences of their trade.