0:00:04 > 0:00:05I'm in Brazil.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Sex is everywhere.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11But are people as open-minded as they make out?
0:00:13 > 0:00:14Oh, my God...!
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Brilliant!
0:00:16 > 0:00:18In a surprisingly prejudiced nation,
0:00:18 > 0:00:21there is a light side we know about and a dark side we don't...
0:00:21 > 0:00:22So there have been times
0:00:22 > 0:00:26when you've had to have sex with 30 men a night?
0:00:26 > 0:00:29..where selling sex is the only way to survive.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Welcome to a dangerous world,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42So you've still got your penis, right?
0:00:42 > 0:00:43- Yeah.- Where?
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Brazilians are famous for being uninhabited and sexually open.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Oscar Maroni is one of the biggest stars
0:01:03 > 0:01:05in Brazil's outlandish sex scene.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08If this explicit video is anything to go by,
0:01:08 > 0:01:12his club would appear to be heaven on earth
0:01:12 > 0:01:14for the macho Brazilian male - if he can afford it.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33I've been trying to meet up with Oscar for a couple of days now.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36But he's been playing hard to get.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41- Hello!- Hello!- Oscar!
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Oscar, you were supposed to meet me here the other night.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52I came and you'd stood me up.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Oh, my God...!
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Brilliant!
0:02:18 > 0:02:19Did you have fun?
0:02:23 > 0:02:24I'm so pleased.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34I can promise you that I won't be standing next to you
0:02:34 > 0:02:36in a G-string any time soon.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38- Sorry to disappoint you.- OK.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40- Can I have a look?- Please.- Thanks.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51So this is, essentially,
0:02:51 > 0:02:53a posh brothel, no?
0:03:24 > 0:03:26How many times have you had sex in these rooms?
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Do you always pay for it?
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Is that something a lot of men feel here in Brazil?
0:03:56 > 0:03:58I mean, some people, some women,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01don't like to be referred to as "a conquest".
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Some of us are independent. Some of us are bright.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09Some of us are charismatic without having to have sex with everyone.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22According to Oscar, anything goes in Brazil.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26But his club is focused on the top-end straight sex market.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31Rio has been voted sexiest place on earth on an LGBT travel site.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34It's estimated there are over a million trans women in Brazil
0:04:34 > 0:04:37and the vast majority are sex workers.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39With more than a quarter of the tourists
0:04:39 > 0:04:42who flood here every year LGBT,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Rio is trans central.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49So I've found this VIP trans girl online
0:04:49 > 0:04:51and this is her website.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54So I just want to have a quick nose before I go and meet her.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58OK, so I don't know how much of this you guys will be able to see...
0:05:00 > 0:05:04..but it's like a...sort of amateur porn video.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06But she looks the part. She looks...
0:05:08 > 0:05:09..beautiful.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12It is confusing when you first look at her,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15because she is so obviously feminine.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19You know, from the waist up.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21And then, from the waist down, it's like, "Whoa!
0:05:22 > 0:05:24"Your penis is massive!"
0:05:25 > 0:05:27But...
0:05:27 > 0:05:30there you go. That's what she looks like.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33I can't wait to meet this girl.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43Hello! Aninya?
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Hey, how do you do? I'm Stacey.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51Aninya is 21 and one of Rio's most popular trans sex workers.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55Before we even start talking, she has a client on the phone.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57- No, you can take it.- OK.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20- Is that a customer?- Yes. - They want you now?
0:06:22 > 0:06:25So how many clients have you had today so far?
0:06:34 > 0:06:37So many of them are married men?
0:06:38 > 0:06:39Really?
0:06:59 > 0:07:00Wow.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15This is Lapa, where Aninya started out three years ago.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19It's the go-to place in the city for trans sex workers.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24One of the reasons I've been given access
0:07:24 > 0:07:27is because my star of a driver Antonio is a cabbie
0:07:27 > 0:07:31and he's been taxiing in Lapa for about 15 years.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33So he's got a really good relationship with the girls.
0:07:34 > 0:07:35Hello!
0:07:35 > 0:07:37How are you?
0:07:37 > 0:07:39You're friends?
0:07:39 > 0:07:40I'm Stacey.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43- What's your name?- My name is John.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45- John?- Yes.- John?
0:07:45 > 0:07:47- John.- Ah!
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Antonio is your friend?
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Yes. I know him a long time.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57- Ten years.- Oooh!- Yes.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02And you've been working this strip for a decade selling sweets.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03You must have seen some sights.
0:08:20 > 0:08:21Ciao!
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Ciao!
0:08:30 > 0:08:34- Would you speak to us? Would you mind talking to us?- Yeah.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Where are you working? Up the road?
0:08:40 > 0:08:42- Ah. Do you like it?- Si.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Are you passive or active? How...?
0:08:53 > 0:08:56- So you just take it, right?- Yes.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57Yes.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- Why don't you give it?- Oh, no!
0:09:11 > 0:09:15What do you get paid more for, being active or being passive?
0:09:20 > 0:09:24Yeah. So you're earning slightly less than some of the girls.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49Oh. OK.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Ciao.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Do you know the girls?
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Yeah? Have you ever...?
0:10:03 > 0:10:04No?
0:10:04 > 0:10:06- No.- No.
0:10:06 > 0:10:07MAN SHOUTS
0:10:07 > 0:10:08He's laughing at you.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10He's saying that you are.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Are you two friends? Amigos?
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Your relationship with the girls,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32is it strictly professional
0:10:32 > 0:10:35or have you had sex with them all, like your pal says?
0:10:49 > 0:10:53What is it about the transgender girls that you love so much?
0:10:57 > 0:11:01So are their blow jobs better than straight biological women's?
0:11:01 > 0:11:02Yes?
0:11:06 > 0:11:10And he said, "Si," as well. You've had a blow job off the girls?
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Yes, he has.
0:11:12 > 0:11:13Yes.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Better than straight biological women?
0:11:19 > 0:11:20Why? What's the difference?
0:11:33 > 0:11:36And you've said that you've slept with loads of the girls.
0:11:36 > 0:11:37Do you...?
0:11:40 > 0:11:45Do you shag them up the arse or do they have sex with you up your arse?
0:11:50 > 0:11:53In your mind, when you're having sex with these girls,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56these trans girls, what are you thinking?
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Are you convincing yourself that you're having sex with a female
0:12:00 > 0:12:02or do you not mind that they have a penis?
0:12:02 > 0:12:04What's the train of thought?
0:12:28 > 0:12:30And how would you boys describe yourselves?
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Are you gay? Are you straight? Are you bi?
0:13:09 > 0:13:11I've had a call from Aninya.
0:13:11 > 0:13:12Are you OK?
0:13:12 > 0:13:16She's got a client coming later, but says we can talk before he arrives.
0:13:18 > 0:13:19Hey...
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Thank you.
0:13:25 > 0:13:26- Ciao.- Ciao.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Is that your boyfriend?
0:13:32 > 0:13:34How long have you been together?
0:13:35 > 0:13:38So can I have a quick look around? Is that OK?
0:13:51 > 0:13:52Ah, OK.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57Can you explain to me a little bit about how you work personally?
0:13:57 > 0:13:59How many customers, typically, do you have a day?
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Seven days a week?
0:14:15 > 0:14:16Yes. Si.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18You must be exhausted!
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Can I see some more of your uniform?
0:14:34 > 0:14:37And can I ask you, I know you still have your penis.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Where do you put it in this?
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Oh, I can see what you're saying. Yeah.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57I leave the room to let Aninya get ready for her client.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01Whoo-hooo!
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Wow! What a vision!
0:15:03 > 0:15:05You look amazing.
0:15:05 > 0:15:06Really lovely.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09And can I ask, where is your penis?
0:15:09 > 0:15:12- Have you tucked it up?- Yeah.
0:15:15 > 0:15:16Wow.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Because even, like, this close,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21I would never know that you've still got a penis.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27OK, so, when a client arrives, what exactly will happen?
0:15:40 > 0:15:41What was he like? Was he nice?
0:15:46 > 0:15:48I'll bet your boyfriend's not so keen
0:15:48 > 0:15:50on you having loads of customers like that.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57And when you two first met, did he realise that you were transgender?
0:16:23 > 0:16:26I guess honesty is always the best policy
0:16:26 > 0:16:28when you're trying to start a relationship.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41Aninya's client has just arrived. So I leave her to it.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Aninya's just texted.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48So, 15, 20 minutes max after I'd left her,
0:16:48 > 0:16:52a picture of the lad getting dressed
0:16:52 > 0:16:54and underneath she's put, "Finished!".
0:16:55 > 0:16:58And I guess, for her, it will then be on to the next one.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01I think she's really fascinating,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05because there doesn't seem to be a great emotional attachment,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07in terms of her work.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09I think she's very business orientated.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Which is totally fair enough, you know?
0:17:12 > 0:17:15She's worked hard to get where she is now.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23SAMBA MUSIC PLAYS
0:17:42 > 0:17:44I'm in the north of Rio to meet another trans woman.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48She's a samba dancer and tonight it's her birthday.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Hello! Barbara!
0:17:52 > 0:17:54How are you?
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Happy birthday!
0:17:59 > 0:18:00I know.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Hello!
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Nice to meet you.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Barbara is one of the first trans women
0:18:15 > 0:18:20to become a lead dancer at Rio's most famous event - the carnival.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22And her samba mates have shown up for her party tonight.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25It makes talking to her pretty difficult.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36I feel slightly underdressed.
0:18:36 > 0:18:37I've had an amazing time.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40And Barbara is an utter gem.
0:18:40 > 0:18:41She is so, so lovely.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44And all her pals have been amazing.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47But I would like to have a chat with her away from all the chaos,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49because I bet she's a really fascinating character.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56Barbara lives with her grandmother in a working-class neighbourhood
0:18:56 > 0:18:57on the outskirts of Rio.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01Hi. How are you doing?
0:19:01 > 0:19:02Lovely to meet you.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Oh, wow!
0:19:05 > 0:19:06Look at this!
0:19:06 > 0:19:10My mother doesn't have a picture of me like this in her living room.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12These are all from samba?
0:19:21 > 0:19:23So this was last year's carnival?
0:19:23 > 0:19:24Uh-huh.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Despite being one of the lead dancers at the carnival,
0:19:29 > 0:19:33Barbara only gets paid during the samba season in the spring.
0:19:33 > 0:19:34It's the off-season now
0:19:34 > 0:19:38and she feels her only option is to make money doing sex work.
0:19:38 > 0:19:39Barbara is not alone.
0:19:39 > 0:19:4290% of trans women in Brazil
0:19:42 > 0:19:44find they can't make a living any other way.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48So you're still having to prostitute yourself.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Where are you working now?
0:20:51 > 0:20:53I mean, for me, it's just been a pleasure
0:20:53 > 0:20:56to get to know Barbara a little bit more.
0:20:56 > 0:20:57You know what I mean?
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Like, I mean, on the one hand, she's this extravagant,
0:21:00 > 0:21:02larger-than-life, confident character.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Especially when she's with her pals
0:21:04 > 0:21:06and she's dancing and it's samba time.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08She's in her element.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14But there is a completely different side to her,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17where she's very vulnerable and she seems quite frightened
0:21:17 > 0:21:21and she feels like she doesn't belong to society...
0:21:23 > 0:21:24..you know, as a trans woman.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Life is just so much harder from the get-go here.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32And if you're a sex worker, it's even harder still.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39Although Brazil has more trans sex workers than anywhere in the world,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43there are plenty of non-trans sex workers here, too.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46The largest red light district in Rio is Villa Mimosa,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49where up to 1,000 girls work every night.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52This area is controlled by a local armed militia,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54who operate above the law.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57I do not want to piss anyone off around here.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01Brazil has the highest number of murders anywhere in the world.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03So it's not a place to push your luck.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Off I go. Thank you.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09We've been told no-one has ever openly filmed here before.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12And it's not long before we attract attention.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14There's a warning out against us?
0:22:14 > 0:22:16- Erm, yeah. - How serious is the warning?
0:22:16 > 0:22:18- Well, that's what we've got to figure out now.- OK.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20So shall we just not do anything for the moment?
0:22:20 > 0:22:22We should wait in the car for the moment.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25A first warning is verbal.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27A second means they'll break your legs.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29And the third is final. They'll kill you.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31These are the two security guys.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36After some negotiation, the militia give us two men who will take us in.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19One of the bar owners lets us in.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22She has ten rooms upstairs
0:23:22 > 0:23:25that she rents out in 20-minute slots to the girls.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31She introduces us to Viviane, a regular in her bar.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Viviane is 25 and a mum of two young boys.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38She works here over the weekend
0:23:38 > 0:23:40and looks after her kids during the week.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48So this is one of the rooms where the guys come to have sex.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Oh, you've got a fan at least.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Yeah, because it gets hot in here.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54So, look, this is one of the beds...
0:23:54 > 0:23:56This is tiny, Viv.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58I couldn't even lie down in here.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04This is the whole thing?
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Whoa...
0:24:06 > 0:24:08And two of you... It gets a bit cramped.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10Shit.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17I probably just got pregnant lying on that, lying on that bed.
0:24:17 > 0:24:18Thank you. Thank you.
0:24:18 > 0:24:24How many men can you sleep with a night, roughly?
0:24:37 > 0:24:39So there have been times
0:24:39 > 0:24:41when you've had to have sex with 30 men a night?
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Is that not sore?
0:24:53 > 0:24:55And explain to me, how does it work?
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Like, is Carla your pimp?
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Do you work for the bar? Explain to me.
0:25:20 > 0:25:26Viviane's like a perfect example of so many girls here in Villa Mimosa.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28You know, it's circumstantial.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30She's got two kids to feed.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32And there's no other way
0:25:32 > 0:25:34she can make this type of money this quickly.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38For me, what I find fascinating is that she's saying
0:25:38 > 0:25:39she hasn't got a pimp.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41So she doesn't have to answer to anyone.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43She's completely self-employed.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47And back home, all the prostitutes, all the sex workers
0:25:47 > 0:25:51that I've spoken to always have, like, an authoritative figure.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Carla, the bar manager, agrees to talk to me upstairs
0:25:56 > 0:25:58about how her place operates.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02So this is it, the office.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Cor, it's clever, isn't it? Wow!
0:26:29 > 0:26:32Can you explain to me exactly how it works?
0:26:32 > 0:26:35How do you run your bar?
0:26:53 > 0:26:56My understanding is that brothels here in Brazil
0:26:56 > 0:26:58are completely illegal.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02So how are the police allowing you to continue to run?
0:27:28 > 0:27:31You know, are you living an extravagant life
0:27:31 > 0:27:33off the back of these girls?
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Or are you struggling just as much as some of them?
0:28:21 > 0:28:26Straight sex workers in Rio mostly work in bars like Carla's.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30But the prejudice against gay and transsexual prostitutes
0:28:30 > 0:28:32means they are banned by the macho militia.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36So most of them have to work on the streets.
0:28:36 > 0:28:37Barbara, the carnival dancer,
0:28:37 > 0:28:40has rung to say she's got to go streetwalking tonight.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43Where's your grandma, asleep?
0:28:49 > 0:28:51Is it possible for me to come?
0:29:02 > 0:29:05Do you think there will be many clients out this evening?
0:29:12 > 0:29:15And, Barbara, I know you don't love
0:29:15 > 0:29:17having to go out and work on the streets.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Why do you have to go out this evening?
0:29:53 > 0:29:56How much, ideally, do you need to make this evening?
0:30:06 > 0:30:08Oh, my sister.
0:30:09 > 0:30:10Come on, then.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15Barbara's been at a samba event this evening
0:30:15 > 0:30:17and has left it late to go to work.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25It's gone two, so she'll only have a few hours
0:30:25 > 0:30:27to find the clients she needs.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32Lovely to meet you. I'm Stacey.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34- Nice to meet. - Have you been busy, yeah?
0:30:39 > 0:30:41How much have you made?
0:30:46 > 0:30:50OK. So 450 this evening in total.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54Well, Babs was saying she's in a rush
0:30:54 > 0:30:57because she needs to make some dough tonight before the sun comes up.
0:31:12 > 0:31:13Hi!
0:31:13 > 0:31:15Are you Monique?
0:31:16 > 0:31:20Barbara says Monique protects the girls who work on the street.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22Hello. How are you?
0:31:22 > 0:31:23Yeah?
0:31:23 > 0:31:25Here she is in all her glory.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29I feel like the Spice Girls have been reunited!
0:31:32 > 0:31:35How long have you been working on the streets?
0:32:30 > 0:32:34Brazil has the highest murder rate of trans women in the world.
0:32:34 > 0:32:38Their average life expectancy here is just 30.
0:32:39 > 0:32:40But without going on the streets,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43Barbara won't be able to pay her bills.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50They're going off.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02Babs has just taken that guy around the corner.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05I think he wants a blow job, but I don't want to go too close
0:33:05 > 0:33:08because I don't want him getting the hump and then not paying her.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13I'm pleased for her that she's got someone.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17I can't believe how quick it was.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22- Finished?- No.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26What's wrong?
0:33:29 > 0:33:30What's wrong?
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Barbara, I feel like I can be honest with you.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06Sometimes it seems like the girls put on this performance,
0:34:06 > 0:34:09it's like a sort of theatrical show.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12"Everything's fine, this is great, we're so glam."
0:34:12 > 0:34:15But the reality is,
0:34:15 > 0:34:17you know, there's extreme violence out on the streets.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19Some of the girls have been killed.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23You don't know whether you're going to make it home sometimes.
0:34:23 > 0:34:24It's hard.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43Aninya, the trans worker I first met on Copacabana,
0:34:43 > 0:34:47has invited me to meet her family back home in Sao Paulo.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50With a population of 27 million people,
0:34:50 > 0:34:53it's the biggest city in Latin America.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55Just 400 kilometres from Rio,
0:34:55 > 0:34:58it feels a million miles from the strip
0:34:58 > 0:35:00where Babs is plying her trade.
0:35:00 > 0:35:01While the rest of Brazil
0:35:01 > 0:35:04is heading into the worst recession for over 100 years
0:35:04 > 0:35:08here, in the financial capital, there is still money to be made.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10If you're in the right place,
0:35:10 > 0:35:15a sex worker here can earn up to £6,000 a month - more than a judge.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Oscar Maroni has called to say I can visit the Bahamas Club
0:35:23 > 0:35:25during opening hours.
0:35:25 > 0:35:26Hello.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29His son lets me in and takes me up the back stairs
0:35:29 > 0:35:31so the customers don't see me.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33- I'm Stacey.- Nice to meet you. - Likewise.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35- Very nice to meet you. You're Oscar's son, right?- Yeah.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38I've heard a lot about you.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40- Thank you.- Go upstairs.
0:35:42 > 0:35:47It's really just a posh version of life at Carla's bar in Villa Mimosa.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Oscar simply rents the rooms to the girls
0:35:50 > 0:35:53to use for sex with their clients.
0:35:55 > 0:35:56I'm told I'll have to wait here
0:35:56 > 0:35:59until one of the girls is willing to come and speak with me.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04- Hi!- Hi!
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Wow, look at you! You look amazing.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09A girl called Lara agrees to have a chat.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12She's only been working here three months.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16So tonight wasn't really a huge success for you financially?
0:36:16 > 0:36:17No, no.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19- But last night was good.- OK.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22How many did you have last night?
0:36:22 > 0:36:23Two. Two guys.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27I got about 1,500.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31- Just last night? - Yeah.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34- From two people?- Two people.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36So you've been here for three months.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38Where were you working before here?
0:36:38 > 0:36:41I had a stationery store.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43- Really?- Yeah.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47Yeah. And I didn't get the money to pay the rental.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52- So you thought, "I have to find fast money"?- Yeah.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56I just called here and asked, "Do you need some girls today?"
0:36:56 > 0:36:59"Come here. We can talk."
0:36:59 > 0:37:03So I came here and, "Oh, you're good.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06"Why don't you try to meet some guys here?"
0:37:06 > 0:37:07And it was good for me.
0:37:07 > 0:37:11I have my plans. I don't want to be here all my life.
0:37:11 > 0:37:12I have a kid.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14I have a daughter.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18- Wow. How old is she?- Nine.
0:37:18 > 0:37:19Nine years old.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21- Does she know what you do?- No.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25Anyone in my personal life know what I'm doing.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27Just one guy.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Just my best friend knows.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31But I have a boyfriend.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33- No?- Yeah.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35- And he doesn't know?- No.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37- Lara, really?- Yeah.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39That's difficult for you.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41Oh, a lot.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43Too much. Too much.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46It's too hard for me thinking things about this.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48But I have to do this.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51It's not too long is my plan.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55Don't be for too many times here.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59You're here really because you needed the money.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03- Mm-hm. - Not because you enjoy this.- Yeah.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05But your boyfriend has no clue.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09So he's thinking, "Oh, we're going along as normal.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12- "She's not seeing anyone else. We're in love."- Mm-hm.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15And all the while,
0:38:15 > 0:38:19- you've got this whole secret life going on, essentially.- Yeah, yeah.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23We have to have secret lives here.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Do you feel bad on your boyfriend?
0:38:27 > 0:38:32There are many nights when I lay down with a guy
0:38:32 > 0:38:35and I just think, "Oh, my God, what am I doing here?"
0:38:36 > 0:38:39I just don't want this for my daughter.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43I just want to stay with my boyfriend.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45I don't want to stay here all the nights,
0:38:45 > 0:38:49thinking about making money
0:38:49 > 0:38:53and lay down with the old guys, ugly guys
0:38:53 > 0:38:55and things like this.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58My head is just a mess.
0:38:58 > 0:38:59Uh-huh.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Don't make me cry!
0:39:01 > 0:39:03Oh, don't cry.
0:39:04 > 0:39:05Oh, thank you.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08I need this sometimes.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10- Oh, I bet.- Thank you.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16When you cover controversial subjects,
0:39:16 > 0:39:20there's always the same spiel that you hear time and time again.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23And I think she just spoke directly from the heart.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Like, "Of course it's a struggle.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29"Of course it's sending me loopy.
0:39:29 > 0:39:34"Of course it's, you know, having a huge impact on my personal life."
0:39:37 > 0:39:40And I think sometimes you can get carried away...
0:39:41 > 0:39:46..when you hear the huge amounts of money that can be made.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51But it's like dancing with the devil, because...
0:39:53 > 0:39:55..you know, it comes at a price.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00And it's whether or not you think you can deal with that.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02I don't think I could.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08I'm not sure Lara's macho boss Oscar
0:40:08 > 0:40:10understands the emotional turmoil
0:40:10 > 0:40:13that some of the girls are going through.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16I'm meeting him for another chat at his penthouse.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18Why have you got Paris in your living room?
0:40:36 > 0:40:38From our previous conversation,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Oscar has some bizarre ideas about women.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45I wonder if he has any clue what goes on in the heads
0:40:45 > 0:40:47of some of the girls who work in his club.
0:40:47 > 0:40:52There's no doubt that you are a very liberal, very free,
0:40:52 > 0:40:56very inquisitive sexual being.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59But you also seem fairly bright.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01Surely you recognise that some of them are there...
0:41:02 > 0:41:04..because they have to.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06Financially, they've been forced to.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27You say the girls are really happy when they come to work,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30but obviously, they're going to act happy because it's a show.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32You know, it's a parade.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35They need to look like they're raring to go,
0:41:35 > 0:41:38so that, you know, they get the customers.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41Do you think that there are certain women
0:41:41 > 0:41:44who don't love sex
0:41:44 > 0:41:45and they don't want to be there
0:41:45 > 0:41:49and they're only there because they have to
0:41:49 > 0:41:54and not everybody experiences the Bahamas
0:41:54 > 0:41:57in the same way in which you do?
0:42:32 > 0:42:35For Oscar, it's simple.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37The money the girls earn must make them happy.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40I know this isn't always the case.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48Aninya has invited me to Sunday lunch with her mum and sister.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52She makes plenty of money from sex, no doubt about that.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54But does it make her happy?
0:42:54 > 0:42:57So I'm en route to Aninya's mum's house.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00She's on the surrounding areas of Sao Paulo
0:43:00 > 0:43:03and her favela is one of the poorest around.
0:43:09 > 0:43:10Hello!
0:43:12 > 0:43:13How are you?
0:43:13 > 0:43:14Are you OK?
0:43:14 > 0:43:16You look lovely.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18Aninya left for Rio two years ago.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21And only gets to see her family every six months.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25When she was growing up, she was known as Felipe.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Her mum lives in a favela run by drug gangs,
0:43:28 > 0:43:31not the easiest place to come out as a trans woman.
0:43:31 > 0:43:36So, Mum, I wanted to try and understand
0:43:36 > 0:43:38how you reacted to the news
0:43:38 > 0:43:42when you found out that Aninya was going to transition.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17And was there ever a period
0:44:17 > 0:44:21when you had to hide what you were doing?
0:44:21 > 0:44:23Was it a secret for a while?
0:44:56 > 0:44:59Although Aninya has left her home town behind,
0:44:59 > 0:45:01her family weighs heavily on her mind.
0:45:03 > 0:45:08Aninya was telling me that you've been a bit poorly recently.
0:45:08 > 0:45:10How are you doing now?
0:45:28 > 0:45:34Have you been able to work since you were diagnosed with depression?
0:45:55 > 0:45:58Aninya has told me she doesn't want to talk about her work
0:45:58 > 0:46:00in front of her family.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02She wants to explain why away from the house.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06I know you didn't feel that comfortable
0:46:06 > 0:46:10talking about what you do for a living around your mum's house.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12But she does know?
0:46:12 > 0:46:15You just prefer not to discuss it so openly?
0:46:44 > 0:46:46In your profession,
0:46:46 > 0:46:49you are really outlandish and really outgoing
0:46:49 > 0:46:53and you talk so explicitly about what you do.
0:46:53 > 0:46:58Around your mother, you're very conservative and very respectful.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00Two different characters.
0:47:08 > 0:47:10It's so interesting seeing this different side to Aninya.
0:47:10 > 0:47:15Her life here couldn't be further from glamorous Copacabana.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19And it's clear now the main reason she needs to earn the money she does
0:47:19 > 0:47:21is to support her mum.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29SAMBA MUSIC PLAYS
0:47:32 > 0:47:36It's my last day in Brazil and I'm back in Rio.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40Before I leave, I'm catching up with Barbara at samba practice.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45This is the first full rehearsal of the season.
0:47:45 > 0:47:47And Barbara's just been given the news
0:47:47 > 0:47:50that she'll again be one of the lead dancers at next year's carnival.
0:47:50 > 0:47:52I'm so pleased I saw you tonight.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54How was practice?
0:48:20 > 0:48:22And your pals here,
0:48:22 > 0:48:26do they have any idea that sometimes you have to work on the street?
0:48:39 > 0:48:41Oh, Barbara I hope, I think so, too.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43I hope so.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45I don't know anyone who deserves it more than you.
0:48:50 > 0:48:51Uh-huh.
0:48:51 > 0:48:55Don't get upset, OK? No tears.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03Well, you're my mate.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05You're my Brazilian BFF.
0:49:08 > 0:49:10And I think you're amazing.
0:49:10 > 0:49:13And I really rate you for still staying so positive
0:49:13 > 0:49:16and so optimistic,
0:49:16 > 0:49:19even though I know sometimes your life is hard.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33SAMBA MUSIC PLAYS
0:49:35 > 0:49:39When I first arrived in Brazil, it felt like a breath of fresh air.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42People here are uninhibited and sexually open.
0:49:42 > 0:49:46Being a sex worker is legal and some have safe places to work.
0:49:46 > 0:49:50But even in a seemingly liberal society like Brazil,
0:49:50 > 0:49:53I've discovered that there's such a taboo around selling sex
0:49:53 > 0:49:56that it doesn't matter how much money you earn
0:49:56 > 0:49:58or how safe you can feel,
0:49:58 > 0:50:03the double life you have to lead as a sex worker is incredibly tough.