Educational Media Reviews Online

Live Nude Girls Unite! is a complex film with a number of overlapping threads. It is a record of the effort of a group of nude dancers to form a union to improve their working conditions and it also records the relationship of one of the film's directors (Julia Query) - who is one of the dancers - and her mother, a prominent physician whose work has included bringing medical services to prostitutes. Finally, the film tells some of the personal stories of the dancers. Although this may be seem to be a lot to pack into a 70-minute film, it is accomplished fairly well.

The central part of the film deals with the negotiations of the dancers with their management. After deciding that management was both demanding more as well as ignoring possible dangers on the job, the dancers decide to form a union. Although the venue may be 'different' the tactics used by management are similar to those used in more conventional labor disputes. A hard line law firm is hired, 'final' offers are made, new and more stringent working conditions are imposed and one of the dancers is fired. Intermixed with this is the somewhat poignant and bittersweet relationship between the director of the film and her mother as well as snippets from the lives of the other dancers.

The film is interesting as a 'small' or 'alternative' film; it has had some limited theatrical runs and has won a number of awards (see http://www.livenudegirlsunite.com and/or search for the film at the Internet Movie Data Base http://imdb.com/). However, in assessing the film for educational and instructional use this reviewer believes that such application will be limited to the college level. Because the film features full nude (including frontal) views of the dancers at work, frank discussions of homosexuality, as well as graphic language and a position that views 'sex work' as simply another way to make a living the film would be unsuitable for the secondary level in most settings. At the college level the film could certainly be used to stimulate some very interesting discussions in classes in sociology, psychology, women's studies and labor relations. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the film is not the struggle to form a union but rather the personal glimpses of the dancers and a lifestyle well outside the experience of most people. The unanswered question that hangs over much of the film is why the women, many of whom seem to be quite intelligent and articulate, chose this occupation as opposed to something a bit more mainstream. (This issue also greatly troubles the filmmaker's mother in coming to terms with her daughter working as a dancer.) The film does toy with that notion but ultimately leaves the question unresolved. It could also be used in classes studying labor relations to demonstrate that management tactics seem to vary little from one work setting to another, a point demonstrated very convincingly by the film.

Sound and video quality are good; occasionally there seemed to be a bit more redness in some images which may have come from the settings of the film. This reviewer is not sure if the original medium was videotape or film; the Web site for the film indicates it is currently being screened in 16mm in its theatrical runs.