Sex as Work

<p>Sunday 29 April | Doors 7pm | Admission Free</p> <p><em>Qaleh</em><br /> Directed by Kamran Shirdel, Iran, 1966-1981 (18mins)</p> <p><em>Prostitute</em><br /> Directed by Tony Garnett, UK, 1980 (1hr 34 mins)</p> <p><em>Qaleh – The Women’s Quarter</em> (1966-1981) shows the life of prostitutes in Tehran’s city brothels, an area known as Shahre Now. The film closely follows a number of women and communicates how the burden of social constraints led them to surrender in the face of their common fate. By including photos in the film, a very unique and artistic approach that brings to mind Chris Marker’s classic <em>La Jeteé</em>, Shirdel not only tempers the subject’s emotional heaviness but also respects the individual’s privacy, two pitfalls that often afflict films that deal with themes of this nature. The film does explore the possibility of re-education and development for these women, but in no way does it paint over the hard and brutal reality. As the film closes, a magnificent scene shot in slow motion leaves us with the memory of this ugliness forever imprinted in our minds…</p>