A documentary depicting Dundee’s harrowing sex industry has been nominated for an international film award.
Nathan Brake, who is Creative Director of VIM Media, created the hard-hitting film, titled Hidden, to raise awareness of the city’s rising level of prostitution.
The film was created with the help of Women Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (WRASAC) to show a human side of the city’s vulnerable sex workers.
The documentary includes testimonies from women who have worked as prostitutes in Dundee.
It has earned the former Abertay University student a nomination for Best Director of a Short Documentary at Fusion’s North Europe International Film Festival.
Like most film makers tackling the subject of prostitution, Mr Brake travelled to Amsterdam. The Dutch capital is notorious for prostitution, luring in millions of tourists each year.
There he was met by sex workers who advised him to focus on Dundee’s history of prostitution.
The 32-year-old said: “I went away feeling deflated at first because I was hoping I’d be able to get interviews and an insight into the sex industry there.
“I had to admit to myself that I didn’t even know there was much prostitution in Dundee.
“But I came home and I researched and contacted WRASAC and from there we discussed the idea of a film and we took it from there.”
WRASAC supports around 170 women involved in the sex industry in the city but as Hidden shows, prostitution has changed in the city over the years.
As part of the documentary, Superintendent Shaun McKillop of Police Scotland warned organised crime gangs were advertising women on social media and mobile phones across the country.
They are sold for sex in the cities for a day or two at a time before being moved to another location.
“It was an incredibly eye-opening experience for me and it was terrifying.
“A police officer told me prostitution was harder to spot as it rarely took place on the streets like we might imagine.
“When it isn’t so visible they can’t offer these women the help they need.”
The chilling documentary will be showcased at the film festival and Mr Brake said he is excited for the industry’s response.
“It’s a huge honour to be nominated and it’s very humbling. There’s a lot of other great nominees for the award so I’m just amazed to be included.
“The people who have seen the film so far have said it is very powerful and thought-provoking so I’ve been very pleased so far.”
The ceremony will be held in London on February 22.
