Trash or Tool?

A few weeks ago I went to see the movie Taken. I had no idea that the movie dealt with human trafficking and sex slavery of children. I went because it was a friend’s birthday and she wanted to see “a mindless thriller” (she didn’t know what it was about either). The premise of the movie is that a young 17 year old American girl travels with a friend to Europe. After arriving they are charmed by a man who offers to share a cab with them thereby learning the location of their flat. A few hours later several men break into the flat and kidnap the girls into a sex slavery ring. Meanwhile her American father who was some kind of government agent/spy learns of this and flies over to rescue his daughter discovering this human trafficking ring.

I will admit sitting in the theatre watching a man take down and even torture traffickers was personally restorative, for about 4 minutes (please know that I do not advocate violence in any way). After that, all of the complications of this issue crowded my brain. I recalled a conversation that took place in Cambodia, when a wise woman challenged us saying “you know what is wrong with you Americans?” “You react, you don’t think.” Those words still stay with us. I do have those cowboy fantasies sometimes. I think how great it would be to knock down brothel doors, kick some a** and carry children out. But that emotionally based reaction would cause several ramifications that would actually harm more children in the future and damage the furthering of abolition. That is why Love146 values collaboration among all who are thoughtfully and thoroughly combating child sex slavery. All of us working together with purpose will see abolition realized.

I thought there were many flaws with this movie but there was one that left me leaving the theatre in rage. I felt they cheapened the lives of the children and women who face this each day as a reality by making it a brainless Hollywood drama. I won’t go into detail (this blog is already long) but I wanted to pose a question. The day after seeing the movie, I came into the office and started talking to some of my co-workers about it. One co-worker in particular had a completely different take. He viewed any coverage of human trafficking as a good thing, raising the level of conscience about the issue with the general public. We did in fact have someone contact us who found Love146 through internet research after seeing the film. I go back and forth. Is it good that to Hollywood this has become a “mainstream” issue? Is bringing it to the public (no matter how you do it) a good thing? Will it raise more awareness? I still don’t feel that it is honoring to women and children who are living as slaves. I still feel it perpetuates a destructive cowboy mentality. Do we have to dumb things down? Maybe we do.

This film’s budget was $45,000,000.00 its gross revenue was $61,144,470.00 – not everything is about money. Awareness can lead to Action, which will lead to Abolition. If this film brings that closer, than money is not an issue. I do not live in a dream world (well, sometimes I do), but I do wonder why it appears to be easier to raise/earn funds for a 2 hour film than to help end child sex slavery and exploitation.

I think of this spring when I will visit safehomes. Looking at these girls who have been through torture and are now growing, healthy and loved I will think of this film and be ashamed that one day they might see it. But who am I to judge? One of the last scenes of the film is the father embracing his little girl as she sobs “you came for me.” Isn’t that what these little girls were wishing for night after night? Someone who would come for them. I just think if we all work together we might be able do a better job and bring lasting change.

So, is this sort of entertainment trash or do we use it as a tool?

 

Still angry but hopeful,

 

Desirea