User Reviews

Very interesting, my only thought was that they could have gone further with it. Some of the moments felt glamorized. Otherwise, definitely kept my attention and I would recommend.

I was lucky enough to catch American Courtesans at the Bloody Hero Film Festival in Phoenix Arizona, and although I don't usually write reviews, I decided that on this film I would. I went to the viewing expecting a docudrama with a hard sell for legalization since the film was "from within the industry", or at least that's how it was promoted. However, by the end I had a totally different take on American Courtesans and the escort industry as a whole.

As a woman, I found the film disturbing, but not in a bad way. I found myself thinking back over my life and my struggles and relating to issues these women face. I went home that night, and scenes I saw in the film keep replaying in my head unsettling me. I think what bothered me the most was that after watching American Courtesans, I couldn't believe how brainwashed I had been by traditional media, that loves to hate these women.

The film is a moving piece and people seemed to either love it, or hate it. I saw both people who got up and walked out, uncomfortable with the emotional content (hard to watch as it pulls at your heart strings), and others who sat there crying or with mouths open. It is a film that definitely makes you think and re-evaluate our take on Sex Workers. In fact, it seemed to call in to question quite a few of my beliefs about an industry I thought I knew something about.

The visuals were beautiful and the story was compelling. I found it honest, almost to a fault, candid, and rather selfless as I believe that these women took a large risk speaking out. All in all, this is a much watch film if you want to see a more realistic side of the Sex Industry today.

I have watched quite a few documentaries about sex work and sex workers. But this film is truly different and original. It is definitely one of the best ever produced. I was privileged to view it at the Desiree Alliance Sex Worker Rights Conference. I truly believe that the fact that a former sex industry worker produced the film is quite significant. She was able to gain trust from her interviewee subjects in a genuine manner. Several she already had long term relationships with, and this friendship helped allowed her subjects to feel safe. Too many documentaries on this subject, even if well intentioned, come off as sensationalistic and objectifying. They are almost always made by non-sex workers who often have a concealed political agenda. Here, the producer and interviewer comes of as a peer or a sister, and the tone this creates in the film is both intimate and refreshing. Sex workers need to be humanized in this culture. They need to be seen as our sisters, our neighbors, our co-workers and our fellow parishioners. This film succeeds to humanize all of its subjects and let their complex stories unfold in their own time and their own way. It neither demonizes the complex subject of sex work, nor does it romanticize it. it shows it in all its messy and complicated diversity, and this is such a feat for the realm of representation and documentary film. The film does demonstrate, at least to me, that all sex work needs to be decriminalized. The criminalization of sex work is wrong on all levels and needs to be changed. While not overtly political, the film sets the stage for sex worker rights because it humanizes sex workers and helps the viewer to identify with these women and their complex and difficult life circumstances. As a teacher I want to say how useful and transformative this film would be for many disciplines, including Sociology, Social Work, Women's and Gender Studies, Sexuality Studies, Cultural Studies and more. Whoever you are, view this film and transform and challenge your own thinking on this topic. And learn so much about humanity, resilience and strength from the stories of these women who are coming to voice, emerging from the shadows, and daring to fight for positive social change.

When one looks for documentaries about the sex industry or what it's like to be a sex worker, usually they find something done by outsiders (ie. reporters, investigative journalists, and so on), but American Courtesans breaks this trend. It is a heartfelt, provocative, moving and revealing documentary comprised primarily of interviews with workers in the sex trade, in their own voices. The viewer is taken into the lives of those in the sex trade, as they reveal the intricate details of their lives from births, through childhood, and into their adult years. Keenly aware of the stereotype that those in the sex trade are forced or coerced into entering their profession, all of the interviewees demand that their decision to enter the sex industry was just that, a decision. It is a decision based on their past and present constraints. This film, in part, helps one understand some of these constraints.

At times, the narratives are tragic and incredibly moving, as some of the interviews reveal some dark memories of assault and violence. My heart nearly broke as one Kristen DiAngelo (the producer of the film) bravely tells, in tears and in great detail, how she was the victim of violent assault. But her story does not end there; DiAngelo later reveals the steps she took to cope with her traumatic past, and empower herself. At other times, the stories take a surprisingly humorous turn. Indeed, one can't help but conclude that these lives are not simply defined by tragedy, but also triumph, humor, resilience and compassion.

American Courtesans is a film that reveals the striking details of those in the sex trade. It traverses the terrain of their lives, and gives a human face to the industry. At the same time, it reveals the diversity in backgrounds, histories, and perspectives of the participants. I enjoyed the film for it's candidness and the remarkable courage these women had for agreeing to be interviewed for the film. As such, I would recommend this movie to any person interested in knowing the stories and lives of some of those in the sex trade. All in all it is a great documentary.

. It is doubly interesting not only in the content, as it isn't a titillation, but because it was made by a sex worker. In her first attempt Kristen DiAngelo has made quite a special film. It is compelling and powerful as she interviews 10 other sex workers, and some of their families (husband, mother, son) in an emotional 86 minutes. I found it was impossible to look away from for a minute. This is a well made movie and has been shown at several film festivals including the ECU festival in Paris, The Women's International in Miami and has won awards in Phoenix (Bloody Hero for editing, Costa Rica editing) and others. As their PR notes: "Eleven American Sex Workers come together to relive their personal challenges and triumphs, in the feature documentary American COURTESANS. It is a frank unscripted account by these women and some of their family. It has been screened at many film festivals including the ECUin Paris and Women's International in Miami.

'American Courtesans' became available on-demand July 12 in over 100 million homes across the US and Canada -- including on some of the largest cable systems in the country - Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, Brighthouse and iTunes (in 6 different countries - the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland), just to name a few. It is also available on DVD and BluRay on www.americancourtesans.com, amazon, and ebay.

I just viewed "American Courtesans" over the past week. This look into the lives and thoughts of a variety of women in the field of erotic labor is a "must - see" for anyone who wants a real comprehensive understanding of the people who offer Escort services, their life backgrounds, and how they view the value and the challenges of their profession. I would encourage and recommend viewing of "American Coutesans" to anyone with preconceived notions about erotic services and the people who provide that work. Those notions will be changed by the end of viewing the film.

This documentary stands with the best of "Identity Politics" film -making such as the seminal documentary on LGBT individuals, "Word Is Out". I highly recommend this documentary to any academic with curriculum involving human sexuality and culture, social movements, and marginalized and stigmatized social groups.

My copy of American Courtesans only just arrived and already I have watched it three times! Kristen DiAngelo's first film alternates between the disturbingly honest details surrounding the brutal abuse of prostitutes and the disarmingly charming banter between sister sex workers. I was moved to tears and cheers at turns and always I was aware that these women's lives are courageously explored to a depth and a degree that no reporter could possibly accomplish. No, only a fellow sex worker could gain access to this level of disclosure and candor. I often felt like Kristen had invited me into her living room for an intimate sharing between women who trust each other implicitly. There is no attempt to sway the viewer or manipulate sentiments. Instead, the film delivers exactly what it promises, an honest and comprehensive look at the lives and loves of the very real people who happen to work in the sex industry. Bravo Kristen! You have succeeded in making a crucial, timely and important contribution to both the sex worker rights movement and the ongoing political discourse surrounding women's self- determination.