The Respectful Prostitute (La Putain Respectueuse)

Description

Based on Jean-Paul Sartre’s shocking play, “The Respectful Prostitute” is a scathing indictment of the American style of racism as seen by foreign eyes. It’s a noir drama that raises questions which still make people uncomfortable today. The story opens on a train in the South. Lizzie, a prostitute, witnesses the brutal murder of a black man by the nephew of a US senator. She soon finds herself the target of the senator’s son who tries to get her to testify that it was the black man’s fault. But Lizzie is an outsider, just like all the blacks in the story. Her sense of fair play is at odds with her survival skills. And when Sidney, an black man who also witnessed the crime, seeks refuge at her house, she has to determine just how far she is willing to prostitute herself. Until now, a heavily cut English language version was the only way that US audiences could see this film. We are now proud to present the complete and uncut original French language version of this provocative story.DVD EXTRAS The Black Legion (1936) - “The World Today” was a newsreel produced by the film collective NYKino. Its first subject was fascism in America. “The Black Legion” was a shocking docudrama depicting the grim secrets of a Ku Klux Klan- like group (B&W, 6 Min). New Girl In The Office (1958) - A government sponsored film from the dawn of the Civil Rights era that examines race relations from a different point of view. Kurt (Edward Asner) is an overworked employee who needs a secretary badly. But he’s more than surprised when Mary, the woman hired by the company to assist him, turns out to be black. Featuring Gail Fisher (‘Mannix’). (B&W, 30 min).