Watch Bangkok Girl

Bangkok Girl is the debut film from Canadian filmmaker Jordan Clark. While visiting in Bangkok a few years back, Clark quickly became enchanted with Thailand's exotic culture and fine-looking populace. However, he was also disturbed by the preponderance of Thai women who were forced to work as prostitutes, largely due to the lack of legitimate employment. In an attempt to better understand the foreigners who reveled in their defilement of these young girls, and the girls who allowed themselves to be defiled, Clark took his camera to some of the popular spots in Bangkok's seedy red-light district. In the midst of his research, Clark met Pla, a 19-year-old bar girl. Throughout this brief documentary, Pla serves as his guide through Bangkok. Initially she shows off the city's modern-looking railway system and a well-maintained public park. However, Clark does not seem very interested in Bangkok's infrastructure. He keeps his camera focused on the plucky and somewhat affected young lady. As Clark notes early on in a languid voiceover Pla's affable demeanor might all be an act. Indeed, one of the documentary's most intriguing aspects lies in trying to glean what horrors lie underneath Pla's seemingly carefree continence. Though all her female co-workers seem to be for sale, Pla insists not she does not take part in the sex trade. And though her denials defied common sense, I was still tempted to believe her, and was sadly disappointed when she went on a two-day foray with a foreign customer. Clark does an effective job helping us understand the larger context of Pla's situation, explaining how she has virtually no other opportunity to make money outside of selling herself. However, an increased understanding of Pla's situation does nothing to diminish the sorrow her situation inspires. In fact, Clark's interviews one with a loutish Brit, another with an assertive transsexual enhance our feelings of despondency. Bangkok G