Hot Docs

New Orleans madam Jeanette Maier, alongside mom Tommie and daughter Monica, ran a high-end brothel like a family. Busted in an FBI sting operation, Jeanette stares down the stigma of her professional past in haunting home movies. On and off probation, pre- and post-Katrina, inside and outside the sex industry, Jeanette struggles to make a “legitimate” living, repair her relationships, and advocate for sex workers. Since her arrest, Jeanette has devoted herself to exposing the truth, threatening to name former clients, powerful politicians among them. Johns apologize and go on with their lives while prostitutes go to jail. The blatant hypocrisy of government and lawmakers fuels her fight. Jeanette is a savvy entrepreneur who knows better than to go to the cops when she has a problem. She goes straight to the media. With humour and sympathy, she defends her loved ones and the rights of working girls against threats and insults. - Angie Driscoll

Media Coverage

NOW Magazine (4-star Review), Eye Weekly (Capsule Review)