Hookers for Jesus"follows my experiences with Annie Lobert, a former Las Vegas prostitute turned missionary, over the course of a year and a half that she started a refuge for girls leaving "the gameâ€. Although an observational film, it engages the problems and issues of prostitution by giving faces and personalities to people normally talked about and not to.I first became aware of Annie from a series of hugely popular YouTube broadcasts made with best friend, ex-stripper, Heather. Watching them race around the Las Vegas strip spreading their message of love and hope, it was clear that this was not only religion as I'd never seen it before but also very genuine.Although Annie was motivated by a religious conversion, this film concentrates on the human stories of struggling to improve lives seemingly shunted into dead ends by sexual abuse and male control. And as I spent time around the "Destiny Houseâ€, whose approach is based on giving girls back their self esteem, I became personally aware of the individual tragedies so readily covered with make-up and forced smiles. I became their friend, and they responded candidly. I also got to meet families and pimps and spend time in the ghettos. The paths to rehabilitation were never smooth, but the girls always showed a heart-warming resilience and their bright, eccentric personalities give the film life, and a lightness of touch.
