“No one in here wants to see you in jail,” a lawyer tells her client in “Blowin’ Up” — and that truly does appear to be the case. Stephanie Wang-Breal’s new documentary follows a group of women in Queens, including a compassionate judge, working together to transform the way the criminal justice system treats arrested or indicted sex workers. A trailer for the Tribeca 2018 selection recently dropped.
“Blowin’ Up” focuses both on the women fighting for sex workers’ legal rights and the sex workers themselves. The doc also explores how and why women enter into sex work and have a difficult time “blowin’ up,” or leaving their pimps. “You can’t just walk away,” one character says. “There is no walking away.” A lawyer adds that her client “was in crisis and [her pimp] just, like, swooped in.” He maintains control by keeping her passport, license, and Social Security card.
“I became fascinated with the labels: sex work, prostitution, and human trafficking,” Wang-Breal told Women and Hollywood about the doc’s inspiration, “and grew interested in unraveling what these labels meant for the women inside this space.” She added, “When people leave the theater, I want them to think about this idea of ‘agency.’ Who has agency inside this courtroom and what does agency mean for these women?”
This marks Wang-Breal’s third feature. She previously directed “Wo ai ni mommy” and “Tough Love,” which chronicle China-to-U.S. adoptions and the foster care system, respectively. Both films aired as part of PBS’ “POV” documentary series.
“Blowin’ Up” opens April 5 in New York and April 12 in Los Angeles.
