The Madam and Company
Millionaire Mary-Anne Kenworthy is a woman of many titles: Mother, Rotarian, Entrepreneur and Brothel Madam. However she is mostly known for owning two of the largest illegal brothels in Western Australia.
After a three-year stint as a prostitute, Mary-Anne aged 28 bought her first house of ill fame for $80,000. Now at 45 she has built a business empire, with a string of massage parlors, brothels and escort agencies, on the back of a thriving illegal sex trade. Outside the shadowy world of prostitution this Rotarian striving for respectability has diversified her interests into fashion, sex toys and property development.
Mary-Anne is a single mother of four with an insatiable drive to possess the best sex-empire in Australia. Plus, she is on a mission to transform the world of prostitution into a squeaky clean and respectable industry by decriminalising prostitution Australia-wide. Prostitution is technically illegal in WA; police turning a blind eye and prosecuting only when complaints have been made.
The Madam follows the astute and fiery entrepreneur as she claws her way to the top…and the industry to the brink of reform. In the next 12 months her vision is to launch her brothel’s website, Langtrees.com. Mary-Anne has sunk every last penny into developing Langtrees.com in hope of gaining a greater share of the declining traditional sex market. At the same time she is gearing up to take on the government regarding decriminalising the industry. On a personal note Mary-Anne will travel to London to the most prestigious international sex industry event, the Erotica Awards, where she wins the Sex Worker of the Year Award.
Although Mary-Anne is the main focus, there are multiple characters adding different layers to the social tapestry of the film. Away from the brightly-lit management offices are the women at work. There is Pamela Martin. She took up sex work after three failed marriages. She dreams of being a writer. And Scotty the Sexy Super Gran, once a sex worker, but now a brothel tour guide searching for fame… Then there is Warren George, Marry-Anne’s best friend. He began as a brothel driver and is now Langtree’s jack of all trades.
On this personal journey Mary-Anne Kenworthy is revealed in all her complexity. She craves and searches for respectability and has a firm sense of social responsibility and morals, strongly justifying her actions in an industry that is often thought of as immoral and exploitative. Seemingly ‘conservative’ in comparison to her peers, she is one manipulative business woman who works everyone towards her empire building agenda.
The Madam is universally enthralling as the characters walk a thin line between dark and light, ‘right’ and ‘wrong’.
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reviews
"We welcome the return of the impeccable Who Do You Think You Are?"
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"… essentially a story of courage"
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‘Delightful’
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"A remarkable story and a clever and affecting piece of storytelling"
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Koori queens proudly get out and about in this high-spirited and affirming documentary."
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"Considering the double whammy served up by homophobia and racism, Sissy insists on having a good time while handling thought-provoking material."
[Shaun Micallef’s] quest to discover if there is ‘‘greater purpose than being a semi-professional Australian TV personality’’ makes for a funny and watchable journey.
Filled with wit, warmth and revelations, Stairway To Heaven will intrigue even non-believers.
"It's a compelling story and you made a compelling film out of it. Just terrific."
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“Surprising, raunchy, hilarious, crazy! Expect the unexpected!”
"Puppetry most certainly is an art from and some of the performances here will take your breath away"
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This series is fascinating and so well done...
(pick of the week)
"... explores the family histories of its subjects with class and humour. Verdict: A Hit."