THE STORY – A hybrid documentary that reimagines popular depictions of sex work through the lived experiences of writer, performer, and sex worker Andrea Werhun. Andrea grapples with social stigma and reclaims her narrative in a series of funny, heartbreaking, and surprising stories.
THE CAST – Andrea Werhun
THE TEAM – Nicole Bazuin (Director/Writer) & Andrea Werhun (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 80 Minutes
The power of storytelling invites us to experience different perspectives, challenge misconceptions, and break stereotypes. Filmmakers can also reclaim a narrative from harmful tropes, as Nicole Bazuin achieves with her excellent hybrid documentary, “Modern Whore.” Regarding how sex workers are portrayed on screen, the nuances of their experiences often get reduced to the role of either “disposable” victim or villain. Bazuin and frequent collaborator, writer/performer Andrea Werhun (the lead sex work consultant on Sean Baker’s “Anora”), have been tackling such stigmas and dispelling myths through heightened creative expression. Bazuin adapted Werhun’s 2018 novel, “Modern Whore: A Memoir,” into a short film of the same name, released in 2020. Six years later, a new iteration was born. Part-documentary and part-dramatization, “Modern Whore” is a cheeky ode to the sex worker community that lovingly advocates for their humanity.
The film recounts defining chapters of Andrea Werhun’s personal life, beginning with how she became an escort, Mary Ann (“A Whore Is Born”), and the “Learning Curves” she faced along the way. While studying English Literature at the University of Toronto and working minimum wage jobs, Werhun aspired to become a writer and performer. While learning that escorting could provide a solid source of income, Werhun researched various agency services. The film includes an amusing dramatization of how she bases her decision on which agency has the best website. Werhun talks us through her early days on the job and describes encounters with clients who are mostly described as polite regulars. However, apart from a blacklist, the agency had no safety procedures in place to protect Werhun and her industry friends from sexual assault and other workplace dangers. Faced with internal shame and growing concerns from her mother, Werhun transitioned into exotic dancing (“The Birth of Sophia”), but this did not necessarily mean a safer path.
Sex work involves so much more than what happens behind closed doors. By spotlighting Werhun as a theatre star who re-enacts her own experiences, we are given an engaging contrast between herself and the characters she embodies. The film draws on her love of performing to create a very stylish feature, complete with glamorous neo noir costume changes and theatrical sets. Bazuin’s direction blends together different time periods and storytelling mediums, which add an inventive otherworldly dimension to the story. The use of animation in particular is a neat way of squaring Werhun’s emotions and conveying them in a way that words alone cannot. There’s an entertaining pop-up-book quality to how the film enhances reenactments through bright color palettes, as though Werhun’s personality is coming to life. The production design by Chareese McLaughlin and costumes by Cameron Lee also maintain a playful visual language throughout.
Bazuin strikes a fairly impressive balance between the hyper-feminine stylized world and the footage from Werhun’s interviews. It’s not always the most cohesive blend, as some of the editing feels disjointed. But the approach complements Werhun’s personality and never undermines the weight of her experiences. The reenactments are interspersed with grounded documentary-style interviews between Werhun and her inner circle. This is where the film feels most compelling. Perspectives from her mother, her partner (who gets an endearing hard-launch boyfriend reveal), and her industry friends expand on a journey from wrestling with shame to embracing community. Part of the emotional resonance comes from Werhun’s candid relationship with her mother, whose unconditional love and support shine through.
There’s an integral emphasis on the significance of support systems, especially amongst Werhun’s group of friends, as they share personal stories. Their collective experiences speak to an extremely unsupervised industry that has failed, time and time again, at protecting sex workers. It’s one of the film’s many educational moments that actively works to de-stigmatize this profession, while offering insight into an array of voices on the subject. The interview setups are also incredibly warm and easy-going, a refreshing spin on the role that talking heads play in documentaries. Rather than have the subjects float in and out individually, they are each given the time to converse with Werhun on a more intimate and personal level.
In the film’s final chapter, “A New Archetype”, Werhun shares her desire to make a living through art. With the success of “Modern Whore” across different iterations, one can hope that this creative trifecta is just the beginning of a long career. Werhun and Bazuin are a dynamic duo who exemplify the power of a great creative partnership. The latter’s theatre-style direction beautifully complements the former’s dynamic star presence. With a smart script that reclaims stigmatized narratives, they’ve made a thoughtful documentary that explores sex work through an imaginative and humanistic lens.
