My Body Goes to Work Is a Compassionate, Unflinching Look at Intimacy and Care

At this year’s Hot Docs, My Body Goes to Work stood out not because it tries to shock audiences, but because it refuses to. Directed by Fernanda Molina and produced by Daria Lavrova, the short documentary takes an intimate and deeply human approach to a subject that cinema often sensationalizes. The film, which won Best Canadian Short Documentary at the festival, follows Neveah — a sex worker and a doula navigating two professions society tends to place at opposite moral extremes.

What makes My Body Goes to Work so effective is its restraint. Molina never turns Neveah into a symbol or political talking point. Instead, the film allows her to exist as a full person: reflective, compassionate, vulnerable, and emotionally intelligent. That choice gives the documentary its emotional weight.

“I wanted for Neveah to share her own experience,” Molina explained. “We don’t want to make a statement on sex work. We just want to show the humanity of Neveah and her own personal story.”

That philosophy defines the entire film. Rather than framing Neveah through stigma or controversy, Molina and Lavrova focus on the quieter realities of emotional labor and human connection. The documentary draws compelling parallels between Neveah’s work as a stripper and her work as a doula, revealing how both roles involve caregiving, bodily intimacy, and trust.

“There will always be a need for connection in society,” Molina said, a line that ultimately feels like the thesis of the film itself.

One of the documentary’s greatest strengths is the way it challenges assumptions without ever becoming preachy. My Body Goes to Work doesn’t argue with its audience; it simply observes. In doing so, it reveals how many of Neveah’s clients are searching for companionship and comfort as much as physical intimacy. The film asks viewers to reconsider why certain forms of care are accepted while others are judged so harshly.

Lavrova’s perspective behind the camera also adds another layer to the film’s honesty. She admitted that growing up in Russia shaped many of her own assumptions about sex work and sexuality, and that working with Neveah fundamentally shifted her understanding. That openness translates onscreen, giving the documentary a sense of curiosity and compassion rather than certainty.

At just a short runtime, My Body Goes to Work leaves a surprisingly lasting impression. It’s a thoughtful and quietly powerful documentary that succeeds not by delivering easy answers, but by making space for empathy. Molina and Lavrova trust Neveah’s story enough to let it speak for itself — and that trust is exactly what makes the film resonate. FERNTV can’t wait for future content from Fernanda Molina because we can trust her.