Her name is Paula. As day breaks over the waking city, she's already at work - looking for clients as she walks a stretch of sidewalk in front of the corner grocery store. She likes handing out dog treats and joining in kids' games. The grocer's son sees Paula as a reassuring mother figure, and he feels emptiness whenever she is away. Inspired by a real-life news item, director Dominic Etienne Simard paints a pulsating portrait of a mixed-use, working-class neighbourhood where young families cross paths with prostitutes, their interactions leaving unpredictable ripples in the motley fabric of urban life. With broad brushstrokes, the filmmaker incorporates Paula's dramatic story into an expressionistic panorama, in which glances between the characters carry emotions and paint strokes reveal their desires. With its hard-hitting story, Paula takes animation into the realm of social filmmaking.