À la recherche du client, tells the story of a filmmaker’s quest to understand the inner workings of the sexual exploitation of young girls in Montreal. Thanks to privileged access, she interviews pimps, police officers, social workers and victims of the sexual exploitation of young girls. But one question quickly comes to the fore: if this entire industry exists, it’s to meet the needs of the client. Who is this customer, and what is he looking for? Will she get him to talk?
Available on Télé-Québec and Apple Podcast.
Screenwriting
Catherine Proulx & Martin Gagnon
Director
Catherine Proulx
Production
Karine Dubois
Research
Karine Dubois, Sasha Campeau & Amélie Badier
Genre
Documentary
Country
Canada
Original version
French
Duration
6 X 15 min
Year
2019
Trailer
Episodes
S01 E01
The tip of the iceberg
It all started with Kevin. A master manipulator, this pimp recounts how for many years he made girls work for him. What changed? Age, maturity no doubt, but above all, the birth of his daughter. With this rare testimony, the team's quest has only just begun.
S01 E02
Customers like it young
Who better to talk about customers than those who work with them every day? The director goes to a bar on the outskirts of Montreal to meet Kaissy, who started dancing at the age of 15 and has been working in the business for 12 years. The bar is owned by Katy, who confirms that customers “like it young”. To prove it, she suggests that the director place a classified ad.
S02 E03
The bait
The team approaches the customer and explores all possible ways of making contact. The operation is risky, and there are safety issues to prevent them from putting themselves in danger.
S01 E04
Girlfriend experience
Once the fake ad had been placed online, the phone started ringing. Barely two minutes later, the first customer calls. The calls and texts continue, regardless of the fact that the young escort tells the men that she is indeed a minor...
S01 E05
Those who look the other way
Steve, an ex-trafficker, reveals how he came into close contact with juvenile prostitution. He takes the team to some of the motels he used to frequent, to see for themselves the waltz of customers. A head-on collision in which the team finds itself at the victims' doorstep, but powerless in the face of a system put in place to make the client's life easier.
S01 E06
Closing the loop
After having sought out the client, the director felt the need to give a voice to those who experience sexual exploitation. She receives the shocking testimony of a young girl who has emerged from this world and manages to complete her investigation.
Awards and festivals
2020
Winner – Prix Numix - Meilleur balado documentaire, enjeux de société
Impact campaign
Traffic: An ex-pimp’s regrets echo through the National Assembly
It’s summer 2018 and a youth center worker with whom director Catherine Proulx and I (producer Karine Dubois) stayed in touch after doing a project together tells us that, as part of a research project, they’ve started recording interviews with…
More information
Credits
Screenwriting
Catherine Proulx & Martin Gagnon
Director
Catherine Proulx
Production
Karine Dubois
Research
Karine Dubois, Sasha Campeau & Amélie Badier
Editing
Martin Gagnon
Sound mixing
Thierry Gauthier
Music
Sophie Lupien
Graphic design
Nathalie Dubé
Post-production direction
Valérie Mantha
Traffic: the podcast was produced with the support of
