Often described as the oldest profession in the world, prostitution has been viewed and treated very differently throughout the ages. Today, in some places it has now been legalised. Affording sex workers a level of protection and legality that they’ve rarely seen. Taking the business off the streets and providing a safe space to operate. This difference between European countries can create some unusual disparities. As is the case in Her Way.
Marie (Laure Calamy) is a sex worker in Strasbourg who is determined to ensure that her teenage son Adrien (Nissim Renard) has a better chance in life. Unfortunately, he’s been expelled from school and nowhere else wants to take him mid-year. She prods and probes about his future, but he’s a bottomless well of apathy. When an opportunity to attend a prestigious cooking school arises, his one love, Marie is prepared to do anything to make it happen.
Her Way is a moving drama about a mother who is determined to do whatever it takes to give her son the opportunities she never had. Calamy is the epitome of a pushy mum, bribing, cajoling and haranguing the indifferent 17-year-old. She’s impressive throughout. Cécile Ducrocq’s debut feature tackles issues around the rights of sex workers in France through the eyes of one experienced and confident woman.
Her Way screens at Glasgow Film Festival.
