Giving working womxn a voice
IT IS the common narrative of sex workers as victims that irks Shanelle Jewnarain.
“(It) denies the reality that sex work is about women’s autonomy over their bodies,” the 30-year-old told POST.
It is a subject at the core of her documentary, Womxn: Working, which will be one of 22 documentaries and fiction films to be on show at the eighth Durban Film Mart in July.
The documentary, which Jewnarain has been working on for about three years, follows a team of sex workers fighting for the decriminalisation of sex work in South Africa.
“Together with human rights activists and advocacy groups, they are engaged in a paradigmshifting ideological and political battle, (trying to) be heard and protected by the law,” she said.
Jewnarain was inspired to take on the project in 2014, when she and her producer, Tiny Mungwe, heard of abuse cases against sex workers in the Glenwood area.
“Sex workers suffer daily human rights abuses, such as violence and denial of basic services,” she explained.
“We discovered a nationwide network of sex workers, activists and lobbyists committed to fighting for the rights of sex workers and working to overturn the archaic and oppressive laws that perpetuate a denial of human rights.
“Through extensive research and engagement, we were inspired by the growth and progress of the movement, particularly in recent years.”
Jewnarain chose the form of documentary over fictional film to tell the story, giving sex workers a chance to tell their stories.
“Womxn: Working is a portrait of movement, and through its characters the film will be an honest contribution to the discourse on laws around sex work.”
Since she graduated from the Durban University of Technology with a BTech in Film and Television in 2007, Jewnarain has been making short films and taking on freelance scriptwriting work.
She has also worked at the Durban International Film Festival for the past three years, facilitating panels at the Talents and Film Mart. She also facilitates a film and television skills learnership at the SABC.
Womxn: Working is the first of her projects to be featured at the Film Mart.
She said she will get the opportunity to meet with local and international co-producers, financiers and commissioning editors. “We will also network and engage with industry professionals.
“This is a great opportunity in terms of exposure, but, most importantly, the Film Mart provides a platform to further develop our films and to meet potential financiers and distributors.”
Jewnarain is currently busy with two fiction feature films to be developed over the next year. “I want to contribute to the growth of KwaZulu-Natal’s film industry and hope to maintain a sustainable career doing what I love,” she said.