Unsavory documentary by Australian filmmaker Dennis O'Rourke (on the rebound, we are told with doubtful relevancy, from a broken marriage) about a Thai prostitute called Aoi (trans., Sugar Cane), who is promised a rice farm in payment. The core of the movie, though spread throughout, consists of soul-baring, self-pitying interviews with the prostitute ("I hate men more than shit," "My only friends were my tears"), plus some matter-of-fact supplements from her aunt. Nightclub footage of other prostitutes in action provides sordid corroboration, but there are also dabs of sentimentality: slow-motion, a Mozart aria on the soundtrack, a symbolic episode of Aoi setting free some caged birds (sold for the purpose). The image is inconsistent (grainy film, fuzzy video), and the presence of the camera is frequently noticed, commented upon, and occasionally spurned. (1992) — Duncan Shepherd
This movie is not currently in theaters.