She encounters an eccentric, manipulative businessman who introduces her to a hidden underground world.
: Marc Dorcel, having founded his company in 1979, was at the height of his creative and commercial power. The 1990s saw Dorcel become the first French producer to sign actresses to exclusive contracts, creating the concept of the "Dorcel Girl" and building a brand around star performers. Dorcel's films were characterized by their higher budgets, elegant settings, use of luxury lingerie, and a cinematic quality that set them apart from their American and other European competitors. The company's philosophy, sometimes called porno chic , aimed to present sex with a sense of style and narrative purpose. -UB- Marc Dorcel - Filles de passes -1992-
The film opens with a slow tracking shot through the Passage des Panoramas, one of Paris’s covered arcades. The production design is distinctly fin de siècle meets 1990s grunge. The "passes" refers to the literal "passages" (hallways) where these women pick up clients, as well as the double-entendre of the French slang for a trick ("une passe"). Dorcel's films were characterized by their higher budgets,