EMAN BARRE
Arts Writer

Hooker: a word that is generally used to describe or insult women who are seen as “trashy.”

While this word is used in our society to insult certain women, it is also the lifestyle that some women have to live in order to support their families, and even sometimes because it is what their families expect of them. What is life like for women once they’ve stopped working in the sex trade? Do they simply become your typical everyday citizen?

Hookers, a documentary by Marcel Petit featured on campus Jan. 11 shows the lives of women who work in the sex trade here in Saskatoon; the five women that told their stories were all relatives of Petit. Petit’s relationships with the women he documents inform the film, adding a new angle to a common topic.

He was able to capture the life off “the street-corner” and how the choices they made and the struggles they faced helped them become the strong women they are today.

This documentary raised awareness of a global issue; the abuse of women in the sex trade. Donna, Petit’s sister, came to watch the documentary on campus as well as to answer questions afterwards. Her recollection of her life on the streets and how she became a prostitute was unlike one the audience expected to hear.

Growing up on the west side of Saskatoon, prostitutes were a common sight for young Donna. Her early exposure to the street life led her to view prostitution as “glamorous.” Donna told the audience that she saw hookers as being beautiful and rebellious because of their “fancy clothing” and what she perceived as confidence. Because her older sister also worked in the sex-trade here in Saskatoon, Donna thought her decision to become a prostitute was one that she was expected to make.

The experiences that Donna had while working as a prostitute were one that no woman should have to suffer. Her description of some of the abuse she suffered brought tears to the audience as well as admiration in her strength and courage in retelling those stories as well becoming the strong woman she is now.

Donna now has two grandchildren, who were also present during the screening, and is spending much of her time working with women who work on the streets. Before leaving, Donna told the audience not to judge women they see standing on street corners, because sometimes it is the only lifestyle they know. She went on to say that simple acts of kindness, like giving a prostitute a cup of coffee is enough to remind them that there is a world outside of the streets. A single gesture could be enough to make them want to live a different life.