The Toronto feature documentary Modern Whore screened at the 44th Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF)
Often, documentaries can be challenging to enjoy because they are making a point and informing the audience about important issues. Modern Whore certainly informs us about the dangers and discrimination within sex work, but it doesn’t preach. It does so in such a creative and entertaining way that if you happen to learn something, it feels like that was a byproduct of your viewing enjoyment.
Here is our conversation with director, co-producer, co-writer, and editor Nicole Bazuin.
HNMAG: Did you grow up in Toronto?
Nicole Bazuin: I did. I am a Toronto gal born and raised. My dad, Dan Bazuin, co-owned a bookstore called This Ain’t the Rosedale Library in downtown Toronto.
HNMAG: Were you originally an actor?
Nicole Bazuin: I studied film at Toronto Metropolitan University, and I initially thought I might become a production designer because my background was in painting, drawing, and cartooning.
HNMAG: Nice.
Nicole Bazuin: I really loved visual art, and that’s what I went into film thinking I might do. I went to film school on a whim. I’d started experimenting with a video camera in high school and was intrigued to learn more. Once I was in film school, I had the opportunity to try out a bunch of different roles. That’s when I realized that I wanted to direct films, but I’ve continued to be a multidisciplinary artist.
HNMAG: You could see that in the documentary. It is quite visual and colourful, so there’s a lot of that aspect to it. Where did you first meet Andrea?
Nicole Bazuin: I was directing a passion project music video for a local band and wanted a Super 8, retro-1960s vibe.
HNMAG: Cool.
Nicole Bazuin: I envisioned that there would be go-go dancers in this video.
So, I put the word out through friends. “Does anyone know someone who would be a great go-go dancer?” Andrea was recommended to me. When she arrived on set, I said, “Nice to meet you. I’m the director of the video, and I’m also going to be go-go dancing with you because the other go-go dancer didn’t show.” We got dolled up, and we danced, and we had a natural camaraderie between us, which grew into this collaboration and this friendship that we’ve had for over a decade.
HNMAG: Did you have any go-go dancing experience?
Nicole Bazuin: Um, not professionally.
HNMAG: It turned out well, and the band was happy?
Nicole Bazuin: Oh, they were happy.
HNMAG: After that, you collaborated with Andrea on a book and short films as well.
Nicole Bazuin: Correct. We became friends, and we had a creative crush on each other. She had seen my visual artwork and films. When I read some of her stories about her sex work experience, we decided we had to make something together. We published an art book called Modern Whore, which was a collection of her stories accompanied by my photography. Then we made two short films together, Modern Whore and Last Night at the Strip Club, in which Andrea starred and I directed. In 2022, we published an expanded version of the book with Strange Light, Penguin Random House Canada, that included Andrea’s stories of being a stripper in Toronto. And now, we’ve made a feature film!
HNMAG: For your first publication, what was the journey like to get that published? Did you have connections from your dad’s bookstore days?
Nicole Bazuin: I did ask my dad if he had any recommendations. He introduced me to the incredible artist and publisher Eldon Garnet at Impulse[b:]. Andrea and I fundraised through Kickstarter and self-published our first edition of the book in association with Impulse[b:].
HNMAG: How much was the funding?
Nicole Bazuin: We raised over $20,000.
HNMAG: Wow. After the 2nd publication, the book received a lot more exposure and gained popularity.
Nicole Bazuin: It was very exciting for us to be published by Penguin Random House Canada. We’re so happy with that “engorged” edition. It’s double the length of our original publication, filled with new stories and photos. And with the movie coming out, it’s great to be expanding in a way that, let’s say, when someone reads the book, they’re interested in watching the film adaptation, or vice versa.
HNMAG: How did you get connected with Sean Baker?
Nicole Bazuin: Sean Baker had read the Modern Whore book and slid into Andrea’s DMs. He was embarking on a new film at the time, which involved sex work, and asked if she offered consulting services. She said yes, and was hired as chief consultant on the sex work depictions in Anora.
HNMAG: It’s amazing that Andrea had such a pivotal role in the 2025 Oscar-winning best picture.
Nicole Bazuin: It’s incredible! She is amazing. So, of course, we decided to shoot our shot and ask Sean if he would consider being an executive producer on our movie, Modern Whore. We pitched our project to him on a patio in West Hollywood in April of 2023, and he said yes!
HNMAG: Congratulations! It’s incredible that Anora had the top prize at Cannes as well as the Academy Awards.
Nicole Bazuin: Yes, Anora won five Oscars! Throughout that whirlwind year, we were shooting our own movie, and Sean very graciously made time to meet with us to support the film that we wanted to make, which is pretty phenomenal of him.
HNMAG: A key song in the film was “Arms of Mary” by Chilliwack. It was perfect for that particular sequence. Especially, considering her escorting name was Mary Ann. Chilliwack is a Canadian band. Was that something hard to secure the rights for?
Nicole Bazuin: I’m so thankful to Chilliwack for saying yes to us featuring “Arms of Mary.” Andrea and I went to see them in concert.
HNMAG: Oh yeah?
Nicole Bazuin: I was interested in licensing one of their songs for the film. I had not considered “Arms of Mary” until we went to that concert.
HNMAG: It was a big hit before you were born.
Nicole Bazuin: I’m definitely a fan, and it’s surreal to have a band whose work you admire become part of your own work of art. It’s really great, and I do agree that the song is just absolutely perfect for that scene in the film, with “Arms of Mary” relating to Andrea’s escorting pseudonym, Mary Ann.
HNMAG: One thing that’s really unique about this movie is that it’s not your traditional documentary. It seems more like a biopic starring the subject playing various characters. It’s very humorous and entertaining.
Nicole Bazuin: What was really exciting with the feature, as with the Modern Whore book, is that these projects let go of the conventions of what movies and memoirs should look like. The book, Modern Whore: A Memoir, is Playboy, if it were run by the bunnies. It’s got amazing stories written by Andrea. It’s got my photography shot on film. It has magazine-inspired layouts, graphics, and typefaces that support the storytelling as well. The film adaptation is similarly unique. It’s a hybrid documentary that draws on a variety of cinematic techniques to tell the story. It has animated sections and dynamic graphics, like a vintage Playboy reimagined through a femme lens. Through this format, we experience the multi-talented Andrea both in candid interviews and in dynamic re-enactments that showcase her brilliant acting skills.
HNMAG: And her comedic chops. So that works.
Nicole Bazuin: Absolutely! She’s part Bettie Page, part Jim Carrey.
HNMAG: One of the major challenges that is a focus of the movie is that laws in Canada create an unsafe environment for sex workers.
Nicole Bazuin: Even partial decriminalization is still criminalization.
The only way forward is to decriminalize sex work. That’s the path towards what sex workers are advocating for in terms of health and safety, human rights, and labour rights. That’s what is discussed in our film, and that’s what we are advocating for and would like to see in terms of sex work in Canada and beyond.
HNMAG: What model would work best in Canada?
Nicole Bazuin: So, in Canada, we currently have the Nordic model, which means that sex work is partially decriminalized. What we’re advocating for is full decriminalization of sex work. New Zealand, where sex work has been decriminalized since 2003, is a reference point for what we would like to see in terms of advancing the health and safety of these workers.
Modern Whore is not like any documentary you have seen before. Andrea Werhun is a real sex worker and the star of the film. Unlike most documentary subjects, Andrea is funny, engaging, talented, and entertaining. She uses several humorous characters to help tell her story. The movie is also visually compelling and breaks away from the traditional documentary style to bring the audience in while subtly informing us about the issues.
In New Zealand, sex workers’ health and safety have been protected by the Prostitution Reform Act (PRA) since 2003. In Canada, solicitation was illegal until 2014, when the law was challenged in the Supreme Court. At that point, a new law was passed, C-36, Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA). Now it’s illegal to purchase sex in Canada. In some ways, sex work has become even less safe in Canada.
Our recommendation is not only to watch Modern Whore but also to be more involved in amending our laws so that Canada can be safe and healthy for all workers.