Lauren Flanagan is bringing you reviews from the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. In this installment: exploring the rights of sex workers through the eyes of a former madam.

Some documentaries serve as a thesis, arguing for or against a given perspective. Others are critical or historical inquiries into a given incident or situation. Still others are character pieces detailing a portrait of a unique human being. It’s rare that one finds a documentary that serves all three functions, and does it well. But that’s exactly what The Canal Street Madam is: one-part character study, one part argumentative thesis and one part historical inquiry. Fortunately for us, all its parts are compelling.