Begging Naked

“Begging Naked” began in 1996, when my friend Elise asked me to videotape her stories of being a teen runaway and prostitute. She knew she’d never write her autobiography and I was just learning how to use a video camera. When Elise decided to go back into stripping at age 30, the story took an unpredictable course. Over the next 7 years, Mayor Guiliani wiped out the sex businesses on 42nd Street, leaving Elise unemployed. She began to spiral mentally out of control , stopped paying rent and was eventually evicted. She now lives in Central Park. All of these events have been documented in “Begging Naked”.

Background: I became friends with the main character of “Begging Naked”, Elise Hill, while working at a paint store in 1989. We were both artists and became best friends. It is that close friendship that made the filming of this difficult subject possible.

Elise had always wanted to write her autobiography. In 1996, I was given an internship at Film/Video Arts. Elise asked me to videotape her stories “for the record”. I had full access to production equipment. It was during my time at F/VA that I began shooting “Begging Naked”.

It began as a study of Elise’s life. She wanted to tell her story of being a 15-year-old runaway to NYC, where a pimp quickly picked her up. She became a prostitute and heroin addict, all the while doing her artwork. Her dream was to go to art school.

Eventually, when no whorehouse wanted her, as her “teeth were about to come out of her skull”, she entered a rehab.

Out of rehab, she put herself thru art school while selling her artwork on the street. She was a street vendor outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art and in front of the Art Students League.

When she decided to go back into stripping at age 30, the story went on an unpredictable course. Over the next 7 years, Mayor Giuliani wiped out the sex businesses on 42nd Street leaving Elise unemployed. Elise began to spiral mentally out of control, stopped paying rent and was eventually evicted. She now lives in Central Park. All of these events have been documented in “Begging Naked”. The events in Elise’s life have dictated the 9 years of production.

We experience, in front of our eyes, the very moment Elise becomes homeless. I believe this is one of the most important parts of the film. It unflinchingly shows how a person can end up on the street. They don’t just sprout there. Everyone out there has a story.

“Begging Naked” brings up many issues simply because Elise lives them. Elise is homelessness. She is the relationship between sexuality, human fulfillment and identity. She is the runaway, the abused, and the mentally ill. Most importantly, she is the Artist.

BEGGING NAKED is the recipient of both a Ford Foundation Grant and a NYSCA grant.

Cast List: (as themselves)

Elise Bainbridge Hill

Sally Roth

Ron Kuby

Credit list for BEGGING NAKED

Producer:  Karen Gehres

Director:   Karen Gehres

Editor:      Kim Kowalski , Katy Finch, Peter Bolte

Camera:    Karen Gehres, Eli Flugelman, and Jack Youngelson

Original Music:  Brendan O’Shea

Music: Marianne Faithful, Kate Bush, Mae West

BIOGRAPHIES

KAREN GEHRES: Producer/Director

Karen Gehres was born in Syracuse, NY. She headed to NYC immediately after graduating High School.

Gehres received her B.F.A. in painting from Parson’s School of Design. She supported herself by selling her paintings on the streets of Soho and her murals have adorned walls of New York City Public schools and the now demolished 42ndStreet Project. While working at Film/Video Arts, given access to equipment, Karen began shooting BEGGING NAKED. She is now a Segment Producer and Field Producer/Director for film and television.  BEGGING NAKED is her first full-length documentary.

Kim Kowalski: Editor

Kim Kowalski has worked as editor, animator, and director on music videos, segments for PBS and several short films. Her illustrations have graced the pages of New York Magazine, Cosmo Girl, LA Confidential, Red Carpet, Shape and Talk Magazines. Kim first met Director Karen Gehres as a student at Parson’s School of Design. BEGGING NAKED is their third collaboration.

Katy Finch: Editor

Katy Finch has been making films, zines and comics for the last 10 years. She is currently co-producing and editing Art Stars, a 4 part series on New York artists for A&E. Katy has worked in NYC as a film editor, sound recordist, special effects makeup artist, and a producer of crime documentaries. She graduated from Vassar College with a degree in Film and awards in Criminal Justice.