sex work
85 movies and shows
Il Ministro
Thu, 05 May 2016
Franco Lucci is an entrepreneur on the verge of bankruptcy. The salvation of his company hangs on a large public contract that he could obtain thanks to the intervention of a minister who has become a friend and whom he has invited to dinner. Together with Michele, his partner and brother-in-law, Franco has organized the perfect evening: in addition to paying him a large bribe, the two arrange for him to find a girl willing to sleep with him in exchange for a recommendation. All under the eyes of Rita, Franco's wife, who tries to indulge her husband in his last desperate attempt to obtain the million-dollar contract. Because of the girl, the evening takes an unexpected turn.
Baby
Thu, 09 Jan 2025
After being released from a juvenile detention center, Wellington finds himself alone and adrift on the streets of São Paulo, without any contact from his parents and lacking the resources to rebuild his life. During a visit to a porn theater, he encounters Ronaldo, a mature man, who teaches him new ways of surviving. Gradually, their relationship turns into a conflicting passion, oscillating between exploitation and protection, jealousy and complicity.
Bad Women
Fri, 25 Feb 2022
Johanna, the hostess of the parish house, does her utmost to ensure that everything goes according to plan. There is no room for error. The last thing Johanna needs is a busload of uninvited guests knocking on the door of the parish house on the eve of an important wedding. However, a passing Russian party has had its car broken down and Johanna soon finds herself accommodating the party at the parish house. Johanna's brother is tasked with fixing the car to get the guests on the road and out of the way quickly. Her brother's entrepreneurial friend, on the other hand, sees great opportunities in the situation and decides to act. The clock ticks, the car won't start, the wedding ceremony is about to begin and the recipe for disaster is in motion.
Sexual Happiness
Fri, 01 Jun 2012
Sex is a taboo topic in China, even though China is a large importer of the Japanese Adult Video (AV) industry. What happens when a Japanese adult video star such as Yui Hatano comes to China? This film shows the China's sexual liberation in a comedic way.
Whore
Fri, 21 Jun 1991
This melodrama investigates the life of a sex worker, in a pseudo-documentary style.
Whipped
Thu, 01 Jan 1998
Noted documentary filmmakers Iana Porter and Sasha Waters direct this understated and decidedly un-exploitative look at the world of sadomasochism both as therapy and as business. The film focuses on three New York dominatrices who willingly, lovingly, flog, smack, and abuse their clients: young perky Carrie, glitzy 30-something Sonja Blaze, and Teutonic matron Eva. All argue that they are providing society with an important, if quasi-sexual, service. Their clients ardently agree.
My Sole Desire
Wed, 05 Apr 2023
When aimless Manon begins work at À mon seul désir, a strip club that offers high concept performances, she instantly bonds with her fellow strippers, particularly Mia, an aspiring actress with a boyfriend and child. Manon learns that it is “not easy money, but fast money” and when she finds herself falling for Mia, she is forced to question her priorities as she explores her newfound erotic life.
A Courtesan with Flowered Skin
Sat, 08 Nov 2014
Japan around 1860: popular courtesan Asagiri will be freed soon from her service, yet she cannot imagine any other existence. Until one day at a local festival, Asagiri meets the young artisan Hanjiro by chance – an encounter that changes her destiny. With a strong performance by leading actress Yumi ADACHI and exquisite camerawork and production design, A COURTESAN WITH FLOWERED SKIN succeeds in recalling the golden age of Japanese erotic film.
Sakuran
Thu, 07 Dec 2006
Anna Tsuchiya blasts back in time playing an oiran, a top-notched geisha of the Edo period’s Yoshiwara District, navigating brothel politics while trying to cling to the man she loves.
Georgie Girl
Fri, 16 Feb 2001
In 1999, the largely conservative Wairarapa district in New Zealand elected a former cabaret performer/actress named Georgina Beyer to the country's House of Parliament -- a seemingly unremarkable event in that country's history except for the fact that Beyer is a transsexual and may very well be the first transsexual in the world to be elected to a national office. In their 2002 biographical documentary Georgie Girl, co-directors Peter Wells and Annie Goldson highlight the popular Member of Parliament's rapid rise through local government to prominence in the New Zealand national government.
Streets of Glória
Thu, 26 Mar 2026
Gabriel, a 24-year-old anthropologist from a wealthy family from the interior of the Northeast, is gay and in the closet. Following the death of his grandmother, he decides to go to Rio de Janeiro to study the lives of sex workers. Seduced by his object of study, Gabriel will become one of them.
On the Doll
Fri, 12 Oct 2007
A lurid, dark look into the lives of sex workers, where victims of child abuse deal with the consequences later in life.
The Boy
Wed, 19 Feb 2025
Haunted by the fear of becoming a "one-hit-wonder author," João grows increasingly anguished over his inability to produce a follow-up to his acclaimed debut novel. The young writer realizes he must break free from his self-imposed routine and venture beyond his comfort zone. In this pursuit, he forms an unlikely friendship with Breno, a free-spirited motorcyclist whose lifestyle couldn’t more different from João’s own. Their bond may just hold the key to unlocking the inspiration João needs to finally write his second book—and redefine his legacy.
Tokyo Stray Girls
Sat, 04 Sep 2010
A timid young woman who lives with her domineering mother accepts an Adult Video scout's offer to "become somebody else" by performing in porn videos. As she rises in popularity, the boundaries between her two lives begin to disintegrate.
Man's Job
Fri, 23 Feb 2007
Juha is 38 years old and has three small children and a depressed wife. He sees himself as strong and believes a man should provide for his family. But one day Juha is fired from his job. Ashamed, he weaves a web of lies to hide the fact from his family. With the help of his friend Olli, Juha begins prostituting himself to support his wife and children. With this he makes in two hours what it took him two days to earn before. The shame and deception mushroom, but the pay from the new profession seems to offset the downside.
The Stroll
Mon, 23 Jan 2023
The history of New York’s Meatpacking District, told from the perspective of transgender sex workers who lived and worked there. Filmmaker Kristen Lovell, who walked “The Stroll” for a decade, reunites her community to recount the violence, policing, homelessness, and gentrification they overcame to build a movement for transgender rights.
Pornography: Andrea Dworkin
Fri, 25 Oct 1991
Radical feminist Andrea Dworkin's expose on the pornography industry.
Rooftop Lempicka
Sat, 15 Mar 2025
While her mother is expecting their second child, young Thi befriends Ngoc, a club waitress who has just moved in as a tenant in their family home. As their friendship grows, she discovers that Ngoc is secretly a sex worker. Meanwhile, an art book of Tamara de Lempicka’s female nudes, stolen from a bookshop, silently bears witness.