By: Amanda Guarragi
A young talented musician, named Darren, dreams of making music like nobody has before. But, unfortunately she’s broke and desperate for cash. She signs up to a paid-dating website, throwing herself down a dark path that shapes her music with it. It’s true when they say, ‘art imitates life’ and artists tend to try new experiences for inspiration. They may not realize that this is the reason they gravitate towards the unknown. But it’s the creative mind that overtakes the decision-making. Darren is at a crossroads in her life, she is twenty-five, lost her job and is really trying to make a living as a musician. Any twenty-something can relate to this, but the creatives are the ones who feel her pain the most.
Darren has been trying to find ways to develop as a musician. Her sound is very different and she’s seems to be naive in navigating the industry. She has been trying to live on her own, without any help from her mother and she’s struggling to make ends meet. We see her working as a server for a catering event and she is taken by this woman who she used to know. She was once a caterer just like Darren but now she’s on the arm of an older gentlemen at the event. Darren questioned her friend and was curious about the arrangement. She then does her own research and is intrigued by the entire service. Would you go out on a date with an older man to make ends meet?
Let’s discuss this shall we? A woman is in full control of the situation as an ‘escort’ or in plain terms ‘a friend’ of the older gentlemen suitor. There are guidelines that are set prior to the date and as we see in the film, it is more of a companion than a sexual favour. Darren’s friends discuss the female agency that can be stripped away because of the price being put on her head for a night out. But even though that is what it looks like on the outside, Darren has a wonderful experience with her suitor. He understands her on a creative level, something that many people in her life don’t do. She builds this connection with him that almost feels like a father/daughter relationship… until it wasn’t.
Sugar Daddy directed by Wendy Morgan, takes a musicians creative process to new lengths and shows the connectivity between art and artist. As a creative, there needs to be some support from the people around you in order for you to grow in your field. You can find unlikely partners in your life who don’t even live near you, who will understand you on a different level. From the unique camerawork, to the interesting story and character work from Darren, the film will leave you considering the same career path. It is an in-depth psychological analysis of the scars left from childhood that many people carry into adulthood. This generation tends to focus on how to fix the issues, take accountability for their actions and attempt to move forward with a better understanding of who they are.
The film is available to stream today on VOD/Digital across Canada!
Candid Cinema 