Synopsis
Prostitution, pimping and human trafficking are universal phenomena of society and at the same time a taboo in public discourse. Being the granddaughter of one of Salzburg’s most infamous pimps, I have encountered a perpetrator on a truly intimate level. My goal is not to shock, but to show the reality behind the façade, with all of its cracks, to expose the many facets of truth that lie beneath.
A word from Tënk
In The Pimp and His Trophies, Antoinette Zwirchmayr provides us with an intimate and haunting recounting of her family’s history in the prostitution business of Salzburg. Multifaceted and stylized with Zwirchmayr’s photographic touch and talent for 35mm vignettes, the film acts as a prism and poem that lure us in to obscure moments, spaces and characters that populate the filmmaker’s own life and memory. Both sensual and unsettling, mingling regret with ambivalence, curiosity and quiet observation, The Pimp and His Trophies approaches the ever-taboo subject of prostitution with an open eye and ear and creates an uncanny experience that will stay with you.
Benjamin R. Taylor
Director and programmer, VISIONS
Founding member of La lumière collective
