SnoopyStyle Ashley Arbaugh is a model scout recruiting new blood in Siberia for the Japan market. She finds 13 year old Nadya Vall blonde country girl. Tigran Khachatrian is the owner of Noah Models and represents Nadya. Her mother is overjoyed that Nadya is the rising star. The family needs her to make money and she needs to earn to stay in Japan. It's culture shock, language barrier, and homesickness at first. She is paired with Madlen who is more cynical. The cattle call is eye-opening for its bluntness. It becomes obvious that the girls are not much more than product with a short expiration date. Ex-model Ashley holds some honest insights. However as grim and sad it all seems, this doc feels like it's holding back it punches. It digs into the first level but does not dig any deeper. This shows plenty of ugly underbelly but it only leaves me expecting more.

TxMike I found this documentary on Netflix streaming. It obviously was filmed almost 5 years ago but it is hard to find out what happened subsequent.It was conceived by Ashley Arbaugh, herself a former model from a young age, I believe 18. She says she has been in and around the business for 15 years, so she was in her early 30s when this film was made. She has gone from modeling to being a scout, seemingly specializing in girls from remote regions of Russia. Arbaugh hates the business but she has to make a living and she knows this business.The deception starts when she is making presentations to young girls, typically 11 to 15, and their parents. These are honest, hard- working but poor families, they want opportunities for their children and also could use the money for issues at home, like renovating the home to make a couple more bedrooms. Arbaugh plainly tells them they will get the equivalent of $8000 US plus at least 3 jobs that will pay them and, "unlike other agencies the girls will not get in debt to the agency."As the story unfolds we see that is clearly all a big lie. The girls, sent to Japan, go on shoots but are told they didn't get the job, yet some time later the girls find their photos in fashion magazines. Their contract specifies if they grow only 1 cm (less than 1/2 inch) in any of their three measurements, bust, waist, or hips, they will be sent home. One girl actually uses this as a way to get home early after she becomes disillusioned. Both girls we see go home (a different times) with debts to the agency of about $2000 US.The documentary features 13-yr Russian girl Nadya Vall, chosen simply because she was being evaluated when the filming started. She is a sweet kid, tall and skinny, from a nice family but thrown into something she had zero preparation for. She copes best she can but gets very lonesome for home. It is hard to imagine how she was able to deal with what was thrown at her, and I found myself wondering what her actual expectations had been as she was getting into this.This is a very worthwhile film simply for showing the seedy underbelly of the unregulated international child model business. Although not covered it is strongly implied that it is common for many of them to resort also to prostitution simply to make enough money to survive. All kids have dreams of some sort, no matter where they are born, it is sad to see how adults manipulate them for their own gain.

Nick Dees This movie gives us an interesting perspective of the modeling industry. Troubling as it may be sometimes the truth needs to be told. Like was mentioned earlier back home the families think that they are going to be well off and get pulled out of poverty but in reality the odds are against them. And the girls are lonely and not any better off after traveling to these modeling gigs. I think most people already know the things that are presented to us in this documentary but I think once we see it on the big screen it a little harder to ignore. Great movie to see for young girls and anybody who it involved in the fashion industry.

sharkies69 Hard to try and beat the earlier review of this by Backseat Director.Just saw this at MIFF today and found it very absorbing. Whilst it is very sad watching the young women (girls) being exploited the saddest character by far is "scout" Ashley.From her inability to leave an industry she clearly loathes, to her massive but ultimately empty mansion (complete with two plastic babies) to her revolting cyst. The scene when she "checks up" on the two young Russian models is a real highlight. Cannot believe how ignorant and cold Ashley is in this sequence. Her inability to communicate is astounding (Hey Ash, did it ever occur to you that the girl's are Russian and didn't have English skills?) and I cannot believe she couldn't fork out some of her fat payroll to hire an interpreter.A must see documentary.