Sweet Street: Review

6th December 2020

Sweet Street: Review. By Beth Widdicombe.

Written and Directed by Leeds native Coz Greenop, this short gives us a 24-hour window into the story of Isabella, a sex worker based on the real, legalised Red District located on Sweet Street in Leeds, North Yorkshire. Having an interest in social realism and his local area, he started research to bring these girls stories to life. Taken from an interview by ‘Directors Notes’; directorsnotes.com

“For a long time, I’ve wanted to do something that has some kind of social realism. All my previous movies have been about real issues but with this, I wanted something close to home and where I’m from in Leeds”.

Although only 15 mins long, this short packs a punch, and we become very aware that there are no happy endings on Sweet Street.

We meet Isabella (Ariadna Cabrol) in the early morning, finishing another shift on the street. Her friend and fellow sex worker Kayleigh (Kimberley Barrett) invites her to a party later – but unexpectedly, instead of heading back to her squat/parents/flat (who knows the background of a prostitute, it could be anywhere), she makes her way to an aquatics centre. While staring into the aquariums, she is approached by a man who works in the garden centre, Mark (Philip Hill-Pearson).

They have a meet cute situation, and she agrees to meet him for a day trip to Farley the following day. Seeming quite excited by the prospect Isabella heads to her home (not a squat, however the neighbours are continually arguing), and gets ready to meet her friend for the party. There are scenes of drug use, and it is here that the audience gets an idea of the reason for their choice in career, and its unglamorous reality. The party is a typically seedy affair, casual hook-ups, drinks, obligatory vomit in the loo, followed by hazy camera movement.

Feeling somewhat fragile, Isabella makes it to meet Mark the next morning, albeit late and they head to the seaside. They drink on the beach, they chat. All seems like loves young dream.

They end their day in the local chippy. Personally, I’m living my own future love fantasy right now. Then comes the inevitable conflict…not all stories have a happy ending, and although we just want Isabella to live happily ever after, life just isn’t like that.

Coz’s attempt at telling the stories of the red district workers both sensitive and well executed. It’s not often that I get emotionally involved in stories such as this, but it gave me a new level of empathy for these poor women.

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