Inspired by the experiences of sex workers Lizzie Borden met while making her landmark 1983 feature “Born in Flames,” “Working Girls” shows a different side of the trade. Rather than sensationalizing “society’s most stigmatized profession,” the drama embraces “radical nonjudgement” and provides “an immersive, richly detailed look at the rhythms and rituals” of the job, according to its official synopsis. Unlike so many films that came before — and after — it, the 1987 pic doesn’t dehumanize those who work in the field.
The film follows a day in the life of Molly (Louise Smith), a photographer working part-time in a Manhattan brothel for a demanding madam. “Look at me. The two things I love most in life are sex and money — it’s just that I didn’t know until much later that they were connected,” Molly’s boss observes in a trailer for a new 4K restoration.
The winner of a Special Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival, “Working Girls” opens June 18 at IFC Center in New York with a nationwide rollout to follow.
