When people get arrested and pose for their mug shots, they may be at one of the most vulnerable points of their lives. So what is it about those images that make some people want to collect them?

TVOntario will air a documentary this week that poses that question.

University of Windsor art instructor Julie Sando is credited as a researcher on Mugshot, produced and directed by former Windsorite Dennis Mohr. Besides checking facts, consulting sources and scouting locations, she also wrote and edited proposals, worked as a still photographer and videographer, lugged lots of gear, and helped manage the talent.

According to its promotional material, the film “explores the bewildering world of iconic photos of suspects and criminals,” examining their cultural value and questioning their worth to contemporary society. These photos have become highly sought after by collectors, and the film focuses on those “whose lives have been transformed by the strange power of the mug shot.”

Mugshot will air at 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, September 24 and 25, and at 11 p.m. Sunday, September 28. TVO is broadcast as channel 32; Cogeco cable carries it in Windsor as channel 2.