When I Grow Up I Want to Be a Sex Offender

This experimental short from Todd Verow turns its attention to phone sex workers — the people whose voices sold fantasy over the telephone. Made in 1991, the 26-minute American film favors mood and impression over conventional storytelling, exploring the space between the intimate voice on the line and the everyday life of the person speaking. Written and directed by Verow, it features Susan Becker, Sarah Lilly, Teri Hayden and Frankie Payne. With its deliberately provocative title and restless style, the film reflects the underground sensibility of Verow's early work and his interest in performance, labor and desire. It is a snapshot of independent filmmaking from the early 1990s, and of an artist experimenting with form before going on to make feature films such as Frisk.