Portraying and documenting slavery on film is wrought with logistical and ethical challenges. Now back in the spotlight, can film improve campaign impact?Guddi was trafficked into Mumbai's sex industry aged 11. The first man she was forced to go with brutalised her so severely that she was hospitalised for three months. A dozen years on, she's still being forced to work the streets.Her story is now the subject of a moving documentary. Shot by British journalist Hazel Thompson, the film Taken offers a rare glimpse into the dangerous, day-to-day life of a sex worker.With Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave winning the Oscar for best film on Sunday, the subject is in the spotlight in Hollywood and anti-slavery groups are increasingly using film to raise awareness.The UK-based Jubilee Campaign has worked with Thompson to launch her film in an ebook format, with links to e-petitions, fund raising options and other calls to action. US advocacy group Free the Slaves, which was co-founded by a filmmaker, has created documentaries on everything from slavery in Africa's cocoa fields to forced prostitution in the US. Its latest film Stand With Me, a collaboration with photographer Lisa Kristine, is currently premiering across the US."One of our key strategies is to go out and video and photograph slavery in places where the news media isn't going to go," says Terry FitzPatrick, spokesperson for Free The Slaves.The visual impact of films is not in doubt, but depicting modern-day... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2014-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]