Abstract:

Jordan Clark's tragic documentary provides a glimpse into Thailand's notorious and booming sex tourism industry through the experiences of a 19 year old bar girl named Pla. Working in the bars from the age of thirteen, Pla has managed to avoid selling her body--a remarkable revelation given her surroundings--but her refusal to take part in this all-too-common profession of prostitution for young Thai women cannot last. The introduction of "farangs," or foreigners, to Thailand has forever changed the city, the economy, the Thai people's lives and desires. A daring and unabashed look at a popular Western predilection through the eyes of one girl, this film challenges the accepted worldwide practice of sex tourism. The highest rated CBC Newsworld documentary in the last 5 years.