Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Ogosmith Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Brennan Camacho Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

a_baron There are two widely touted images of prostitutes in the West: the romantic image – tart with a heart, adventuress, and so forth; this is the one so beloved of American cops 'n hooker films. Then there is the feminist image of poor, persecuted, "oppressed" women exploited by both ruthless pimps and johns. Both these images are false; at the "higher" end, ie those who don't walk the streets, one finds independent-minded women who have made conscious decisions to engage in the albeit seedy end of the marketplace. Then there are the streetwalkers, who have likewise made conscious decisions, but who have not even the illusion of class.There is nothing romantic about whores, however they are dressed up, and many a "john" who has been turned over by one will tell you they are perpetrators as much as victims. However it is dressed up, prostitution is a voluntary act, but for many of the girls who ply their trade in the Thai capital, the word voluntary does not have quite the same connotations as for the ho's of the US or the streetwalkers of Britain.In this low budget documentary, Jordan Clark paints a vivid portrait of a Bangkok bar girl known as Pla. Due to an unpleasant incident during her childhood, she had a deformed right hand, which says Clark, combined with her lack of formal education, left her with two choices: making a living by begging, or selling her body. For most of her short life she managed to avoid both, but many others are either not so fortunate or have less character.This film asks more questions than it answers, and although most Western "sex tourists" treat their liaisons well – and a few treat them exceptionally well – decent young girls everywhere deserve a better future than that of the dregs of red light districts worldwide.

wolverine34 I watched this out of curiosity. I am never one to say that if there are bad places in a country, then the whole country is like that. I can only imagine that Bangkok has it's seedy places, going by reports, but I do not believe it is all like this. Unless I actually go, I'll never know as I do not judge a book by it's cover.As for the documentary, the girl was the main feature, being beautiful with bright white teeth it was always nice to see her smile. Maybe a must in the sex industry to have white teeth, not sure.I did enjoy watching it, maybe thanks to Pla, but it is disappointing to only show a small area of Bangkok, unless it is a very small city? In a documentary, I do not think you are supposed to come to a conclusion that the main star dies, but I did. I decided to try and read more into it and it seems nobody knows for sure, unless the thread I read is true.Documentaries are supposed to be a true insight into things, and if this person fabricated this, it shouldn't be aired. I was reading a forum on the whole documentary with some comments, one of which appears to be from the Director, who states he called Pla's friend and was told she was dead (which may be true), however he never replied again when this was posted: 'Speakthai 4 weeks ago Hi Jordan, as a very close friend of Pla and her husband I can assure you that Pla is alive. I don't know how she will react finding out that she playes a major role in your film documentation. Besides of that I agree with most what TravelinAsia said. Westernstyle finger-pointing is a very bad manner in Thailand and besides of this it is only - if ever - one side of the medal.' This is why I give it 1 star. I did enjoy watching it, but if the death is a lie to sell the story, then it deserves 0 stars as it is not a documentary but an exploitation. Until the truth is told it stays at 1 star, just for the smile :).

ilovepuroland This is a terribly unprofessional documentary that looks more like a home movie. I can forgive that, though. What I can't forgive is the narrator's VOICE! I'm surprised that no one else has mentioned his tone of voice as a detraction. Throughout the entire film he sounds like a robot, quite obviously reading from a paper. It really sucks any life this film might have possibly had out. The film itself is monumentally bad as well. You don't get any feel for Pla as a person, and it follows no coherent storyline. I've never been to Thailand (I'm planning on studying there in the near future as an exchange student, and was searching for information on the web when this film came to my attention), but I honestly feel like I know more about the country than the filmmaker does. And I know nothing about the country that hasn't been gleaned from Google searches, so that should give you a clue about how much he apparently knows. Sorry, Mr. Clark, but it just didn't work for you. Better luck next time! By the way, if you're looking for a good documentary that's interesting and follows a plot, check out The Great Happiness Space--Tale of an Osaka Love Thief by Jake Clennell.

wrrichards Pla seems 100 percent real but the voice-over in the story seems 100 percent bullThe film Maker. He seems to have filmed it with a handicam I think the Katoeys and Pla had no idea they were taking part in a money making operation.He even complains when he has to pay a small "fine" to the local police who could just as easily, put him in the local jail, confiscated his equipment permanently and eventually deported him for working without the correct permits.( i think they should have)but i doubt it happened.Pla and the other players probably thought he was just a tourist with a camera who, eventually would actually, pay.Wayne