SXSW Film Reviews

Highway Courtesans

D: Mystelle Brabbée; with Guddi Chauhan

Documentary Feature Emerging Visions

The prostitutes of Mystelle Brabbée's Highway Courtesans hold the audience enchanted with their strong characters and beautiful souls in the face of unfortunate circumstances. Duty to family dictates that the Bachara women of Central India either get married, get an education (rare), or go into "the business" of prostitution (the preferred choice of the family). Guddi, tricked into the business by her father, is in love with a man who will not commit to marriage and doesn't respect her; she does not enjoy the business, and she wants a way out. With her 10th-grade education she is able to secure a low-paying job educating the children of her village and is able to quit the family business. She knows if she can just get her undeserving boyfriend out of her heart and secure a good-paying job, she will find happiness and the right man to share it with.

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Alamo Drafthouse Downtown, 4:15