Irina Palm
Synopsis
When a 'Hostess wanted' sign catches her eye, Maggie naively stumbles into a city sex club. The true job description is quite a surprise for the respectable middle class widow, even if she isn't a prude. But unskilled Maggie accepts this as her fastest way to urgently needed cash and her very last option, having already sold her own home to pay for little Olly's hospital bills.
Shy Maggie has a rough start at 'Sexy World', more than just a train ride from her conservative suburb. Wisecracking colleague Luisa shows her the ropes and the two strike a touching friendship. Tough guy owner Miki, a real ladies man, reveals a soft spot for dutiful Maggie, and transforms her into the much-in-demand and lucrative Irina Palm. Maggie outrageously proves to herself that she's not so old and useless after all.
Maggie's double life quickly attracts the attention of her gossipy neighbour's prying eyes. The headstrong woman remains steadfastly discreet, keeping the money's origins secret from even her own suspicious son. But discovery is inevitable and Maggie must confront provincial hypocrisy's ugly face, as well as question her own morals. As she holds her head high, gracious Maggie just might find more than family love.
Details
- Year
- 2008
- Type of project
- Features
- Running time
- 103 mins
- Format
- 35mm
- Director
-
Sam Garbarski
- Producer
- Sebastian Delloye, Diana Elbaum ,Thanassis Karathanos, Karl Baumgarner, Jani Thiltges, Claude Waringo, Christine Alderson
- Editor
- Ludo Troch
- Screenwriter
- Martin Herron, Philippe Blasband
- Director of Photography
- Christophe Beaucarne
- Composer
- Ghinzu
- Principal cast
- Marianne Faithfull, Miki Manojlovic, Kevin Bishop, Siobhan Hewlett, Dorka Gryllus, Jenny Agutter, Corey Burke, Meg Wynn-Owen, Susan Hitch, Flip Webster
- Sound mixer
- Thomas Gauder
Genre
Categories
Production Status
Production Company
Entre Chien et Loup - Belgium
Pallas Film - GermanySamsa Film - Luxembourg
Ipso Facto Films - UK
Liaison Cinematographique - France
Ateliers de Baere - Belgium
RTBF Television - Belgium
Sales Company
Pyramide International
5 Rue du Chevalier de Saint George75008 Paris
France
T +33 1 42 96 02 20
www.pyramidefilms.com/pyramideinternational
Page updates
This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.
See also
You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.
No Women No Children
Director: Akporé Uzoh
Year: 2026
The aftermath of a sexual assault (rape). Exploring the deep-felt consequences for all involved. At its heart an epic story of a couple's fight for the survival of their love.
Elegy for the Lost
Director: William Hong-xiao Wei
Year: 2025
Through the psychoanalytic and introspective voiceover of a young post-pandemic Chinese migrant in Europe, the film interweaves her private memories of intimacy with public narratives of resistance. As her reflections unfold, she and her community navigate secrecy, repression, survival, looming precarity, and displacement, all while confronting the personal cost of existing in a world that demands their silence.
Moonman 158
Director: Tom Young
Year: 2025
Markus, a young man adrift after his father’s death, finds purpose in an underground graffiti partnership with his friend Sean. Their bold, politically charged street art goes viral, drawing the attention of the media, the police, and a calculating art dealer who sees profit in their rebellion. As their fame grows, so does the tension between integrity and exploitation, authenticity and corruption.