True/False Films

Very Young Girls

In person: director David Schisgall and subjects Rachel Lloyd and Carolina Cruz.

Sneak preview. Two pimps drive around in a beat-up car, candidly discussing the psychological (and often physical) abuse they dish out to the young women they're attempting to bring into the "life." What's more, they're videotaping everything with the hope of turning it into a cable-access show. Hustle and Flow this is not. There's nothing remotely glamorous about the degradation these girls face on the streets of New York. They are beat down in every way and made to feel their lives are utterly hopeless. But one ray of light shines into their corner of the world — GEMS, a shoestring organization founded by a former sex worker to give women aid and hope. Director Schisgall (who, ironically, also made The Lifestyle) shows an ability to blend unobtrusively into the tumultuous lives of these women on the edge. The result is a powerful, emotional portrait of how a small group of dedicated people can effect change and the perfect honoree for the True Life Fund. (DW)