In MODERN WHORE, Andrea Werhun and Nicole Bazuin challenge toxic misconceptions about sex work and sex workers with great audacity and high style.

Based on her book Modern Whore: A Memoir, Andrea grapples with social stigma and reclaims her narrative in a series of funny, heartbreaking, and surprising stories.

The film features Andrea in interview and playing herself, in addition to a character named “Shame,” a tyrannical inner demon. In the film, Andrea speaks with current and former sex worker friends Kitoko Mai, Robin Banks, SJ Raphael, and Vixen Vu. She also has a chance to speak with her devoutly Catholic mother Rosalie, her long-term romantic partner Oliver, and her regular strip club client Ron.

There is much to appreciate in this film. Bazuin and Werhun make sure the story is told directly to the audience and acted out by in a series of re-enactments. Yet, they do not ‘speak down’ to the us, rather they create a space for thought and discussion.

The film is rich thematically and cinematically speaking. I appreciate the way it approaches complex topics in a nuanced way incorporating humour, heart and truth. Definitely recommended.