YNOT at the Movies

In a documentary from Czech Republic called "Not Angels But Angels," the filmmakers interviewed many young hustlers, some boys are as young as 14 years old, in Prague. These boys share their daunting experiences selling their bodies for money after the fall of the communists. Although these subjects are very interesting materials for film making, and indeed their stories are really sad and compelling, but the documentary didn't do a good job to tell their stories. I feel like I am not really touched or connected to any of these boys. I still hardly know any of them after watching the film, just profound sadness and sympathy for these boys.

Most of their customers are sex tourists from foreign countries like Germany, France, and UK, some are from the US too. These anonymous boys are hardly known by anybody. I guess it would have been too difficult for the filmmakers to interview any of these "customers." So the filmmakers take the easy road not to bother. But what about these boys' families? This film lacks the depth like another documentary "Children Underground" about homeless children in Romanian.

When I was in China, I saw many male prostitutes in gay clubs and other gay hangout places. I heard that they are not any more expensive than the boys in this documentary, although they are in their legal age though. I didn't need nor want to have anything to do with these "money boys." But I do want to make a documentary about them.

Maybe someday.

My rating: 5 out of 10.