I recently saw a short film called SOLD that I wanted to share with Hope for the Sold readers.  The story is told through the eyes of a young journalist named Maya, who has inadvertently gotten captured into a human trafficking ring while doing an investigative article on the treatment of illegal immigrants in America. It offers a glimpse into the fearful moments, arduous travels, and split-second decisions that sex trafficking victims experience in captivity.  John Irwin – who wrote, directed, and produced this film – was willing to answer some questions for me about his work.  Watch the short below, followed by my interview with John.

How did you get into writing and directing films?

I started in Computer Science at Virginia Tech despite my weakness in math. I had a dream of making video games some day, thinking I might be able to tell stories and carry out my ideas through them. I went to a church on campus and during the service, they played an announcement video that someone from the church had made. It was a spoof on Mission Impossible and Run Lola Run and had all kinds of special effects…digital muzzle flashes, explosions — Yes, all were cheesy but my mind was blown.

Up to that point, from what I had perceived, the video-making world was divided. In my world, video-making was reserved for parents shooting Christmas mornings with a rickety VHS camcorder. The other world was across the country, where a lucky few would be given millions to make huge hollywood blockbusters. I had no idea that I, a young guy with a few bucks, could go out and create action scenes with gun fights, explosions and light sabers. Immediately, I switched majors to Communication and Film Theory and started living out my new dream, making dozens of mini short films with a Digital 8 Camera I purchased at Best Buy.

If you could describe yourself as a filmmaker in 5 words, what would they be?

My favorite part of being a filmmaker is that you are forced to question yourself, constantly figure out your opinions and your truth, then attempt to communicate it. I still feel like I’m at the beginning of my journey… maybe in a few years I’ll be ready with 5 snazzy words!

Why do you think film is a powerful way to tell a story?

To be able to (completely) fabricate worlds out of your imagination and then place characters in those worlds, then try to steer the audience’s journey- who they should love or hate, offering new and fresh perspectives on the world through your characters’ eyes… is pretty cool.

What inspired you to make “Sold?”

Four years ago, I was searching for a story that hadn’t been widely told. I stumbled upon the heart-wrenching topic of human trafficking. At that time, movies like “Trade” and “Taken” hadn’t come out yet and after doing a lot of research, I couldn’t believe that for the third most profitable organized crime in the world, there wasn’t much spoken about it. When I was trying to figure out what would interest me the most about a story taking place in this horrifying world, it seemed like the most effective and interesting point of view would be from the victim.

It seems like many movies about the topic are too quick to tell a version of the sex-trade story where the white male hero, saves the helpless girl from being kidnapped just before her virginity is taken from her (which in the land of movies, is apparently the end of the world). For me, I just thought it would be more interesting if the lead characters were strong and smart Latina women who only have their wits to help them survive in a situation where they don’t belong. I thought that would be enough to drive the story. I wrote a feature version and decided to write the short that could act as sort of a demo to build momentum for the feature.

What has been the biggest challenge about making this film?

For the short, it was a challenge to fit a complete dramatic story in 12 minutes without it feeling rushed, especially one that surrounds such a sensitive topic. I wanted to raise awareness with the short but I also just wanted to make a good thriller, I didn’t want people watching to feel like they’re being preached at.  Production-wise, It was a whole lot of fun actually making it happen. The biggest stress was just trying to keep the budget as low as possible since about 85% of what we had to spend came out of my pocket.

What has been the most encouraging response you have received so far?

When people have come up to me after a screening to let me know that they didn’t have a clue that this type of thing was going on, gives me a lot of encouragement. Those same people are usually shocked to learn that it’s not just happening overseas, that it’s happening everywhere, including America.

Aside from the trafficking element, I just want to tell a story well, and it always makes me feel good to hear from people if they liked the film. Everything I direct is such a learning process for me and this one was a huge one. I can’t wait to tackle the feature with everything I’ve learned from making the short.

In the process of making this film, what have you learned about human trafficking that you did not know before?

As I was writing the feature script, I did a lot of research and reading about the sex trade to keep the story as realistic as possible. I’ve been fascinated and horrified to learn about all the methods traffickers use to lure and trick girls into captivity, and once there, the made up debts that are placed on the girls that only increase over time. The traffickers make threats for the safety of the girls’ families back home and use other forms of intimidation to keep the girls from trying to escape. What really makes the issue of human trafficking so overwhelming is just how many people across the globe are taken and sold every day.

Human trafficking is a growing billion dollar industry that is intensely difficult to fight because it is so lucrative and the risk of getting caught for traffickers these days is very low in most countries. Some quick facts that I’ve come across, that blow me away:

Over 100,000 U.S. children every year are forcefully engaged in prostitution or pornography. The UN estimates that nearly 4,000,000 individuals are trafficked each year, 50% of which are children.

When will the feature length film be released?

We’re still trying to raise support for the feature version of Sold. We’ve received a lot of wonderful feedback and interest for the project in general but it’s been a challenge finding people who want to support the project financially. If you’d like to be part of the project, or even get updates, feel free to go to the film’s website and click on the “Join Mailing List” link on the bottom of the page. You can also email me from my website.

John, thank you for making such a powerful short film and sharing it with us.  It serves as a powerful reminder that sex trafficking is a horrendous form of organized crime that is happening all around the world, even on North American soil.

To those who just watched this short film, what did you think?  What did you think of how it ended?  What does a film like this tell us about what victims go through?

You can read more about this week’s events in Tuesday’s post.  I’ve had a lot on my mind the past few days and will be writing a more reflective post on this issue soon.  Stay tuned.

As awareness spreads, the issue of sex trafficking is increasingly showing up in movies and TV shows. Actress Karen Robinson (Lars and the Real Girl, The Gospel According to the Blues), who plays Detective Ingrid Evans on King – a detective show on Showcase – recently sat down with retired Toronto Police Service Detective Wendy Leaver to discuss the issue of sexual exploitation.  Karen kindly took the time to answer some questions for Hope for the Sold readers as well.

The interview clip below is part of the King Case Files, which are informative short videos accompanying the episodes.  This one goes with the 2nd season’s first episode, which is on the topic of sex trafficking.  Please excuse the very brief bit in a strip club, as I try to avoid images like that as much as possible on this blog out of respect for those trapped in the trade.

What inspired you to pursue an acting career?

I can’t think of any single moment. There were nudges in the general direction – my mother’s natural flair for the dramatic; being the baby of my brood and therefore an attention seeker; Cicely Tyson in ‘Sounder’; and Saturday afternoons in the ’70s spent watching a Jamaican children’s variety show called ‘Ring Ding’ where my beloved Miss Lou handed me my ancestors’ oral traditions like treasure. Canada handed me the possibility.

What draws you to Detective Ingrid Evans’ character?

Her groundedness. Her failings. Her passion for what she cares about. Her limitations. Her lingerie (fingers crossed). Her sensible shoes. She works hard. And then she goes home. So . . . her humanness, I guess.

You recently sat down with Wendy Leaver to discuss the issue of sex trafficking. What was the most surprising or shocking thing that you learned?

How easy it is to find oneself in these women’s position. We, the lucky ones, tell ourselves “they’d leave if they really wanted to”. But these women are threatened, beaten, fear for their families’ safety, and are terrified of the humiliation if they are exposed. They don’t trust the police and they often times don’t speak the dominant language. If I were in their shoes, I’m not so sure I could leave either.

Karen Robinson with Wendy Leaver

What is it like to film an episode about sex trafficking? Does it make the issue seem more ‘real’ because it is being acted out? Did it lead to any interesting conversations on set?

On set, we’re so consumed with telling the story in the most compelling and realistic way possible that there isn’t a lot of time for conversation. What it does leave time for are moments of such clarity in the work that I found myself truly moved by, for instance, Alina’s hope and innocence in her video application to be a nanny, or Jess King’s insistence that Ingrid and she can help women like Alina, women whose dreams of days spent caring for children turn into nightmares of rape and abuse.

What role does film play in raising awareness about injustice?

Few people enjoy being preached at. Everybody has their own stuff to deal with – work, money, kids, relationship, weather, transit, rent, you name it. Stories acted out, if done right, show us our world in an enlightening, edifying, and most importantly for many of these people, entertaining way. These stories, when delivered in a screen format, have the opportunity to reach a huge audience. That’s immense influence.

With a wide-ranging topic like injustice, I think we need to see real people – people who may be like us, our family, our friends, or who may be that person we see on the subway or street, that one we often choose to ignore. Film and tv, and plays for that matter, can lead us to realize that we all want much the same thing – to be seen, listened to, validated. And hopefully that leads to empathy. The ability to see ourselves in another’s shoes.

Karen, thank you for taking the time to share some of your story and thoughts with us.  I am grateful that there are people like you who do not waste their talent, but offer it to the rest of us so that we can be inspired, entertained, educated – and hopefully even provoked to action on the things that strike a chord with us.

For those of you who missed the first episode of King’s second season, you can watch it here.  You can follow the show on the Showcase channel on Wednesdays at 9:00pm.

THIS is what an abolitionist anthem sounds like – let’s join in and BE the movement!

For my sisters on International Women’s Day!

Ever feel like you are not making a difference?  That changing the world is too overwhelming?  That there is no point to even trying?  Let’s drop our excuses and live out influence and leadership daily – it could look different than you thought!  Check out this 6 minute TED Talk.

Beautiful.

When I was younger, I remember hearing that the most powerful comfort can come from a wounded healer.  Many of the women at Treasures have experienced exploitation, manipulation, self-loathing, regret, and abuse, enabling them to understand fully and empathize with those trapped in the trade who feel forgotten.  Check out the Treasures website to read stories and learn more.

I love spoken word poetry.  This one by Dawn Saylor is powerful.  Thanks Mark Whitt for posting this on our facebook wall.

This is a powerful song about modern day slavery and exploitation in its many forms.

The chorus make me want to cry…“preparame la cena que regreso pronto” - human trafficking victims telling their families to prepare dinner for them for when they come home.  This shows the deception that is involved in human trafficking, as most victims have no idea where they are actually going and do not realize that they can’t return until it is too late. Take this weekend to savour the relationships you have, and don’t forget about those who are trapped with no way home for dinner.