Director Christina Zorich's The New Abolitionists spotlights four Christian organizations dedicated to ending the epidemic of human trafficking. The documentary takes place primarily in Asia as it is considered the most trafficked region in the world, with over 11 million slaves.
Here is my interview with Director Christina Zorich:
Terer: How did you find out about the human trafficking issue?
Zorich: I met a woman named Erica Grieve who had started an NGO called Unlikely Heroes at a party in Hollywood in 2012. She had dedicated her life to Anti Trafficking work. She told me how she had gotten into this work and some horror stories about children and young women who had been trafficked. Meeting her changed my life. At the time, she was looking to fund the building of more homes for rescued children and women; a place to house and rehabilitate them. I offered to help in any way I could. I suggested she meet with every contact I had. I knew if she would need to shoot strong promotional/educational footage to help fundraise to finance her work; plus more awareness was needed by the public. Everyone I sent her wanted to be paid for their services. She said to me, "Christina, all the money we have has to go to the girls." It was then I had the idea about doing a documentary on the subject matter. I soon realized that I myself had a deeper need to somehow be a part of ending human sex trafficking in whatever way I could.
Terer: How important is public awareness of human trafficking?
Zorich: Well, it's an unacceptable injustice against children and women. Standing up to, educating and stopping criminal activity globally must be on everyone's top priority list. All countries. All cultures. All political systems. All religions. It's the second largest criminal industry globally; second only to drugs. It is systemized abuse, and it is an industry that destroys lives. How much more ugly, evil, cruel, and wrong could something be? If we can’t all agree on protecting and fighting for a safe, healthy, and better future for children; we have truly failed in this lifetime.
Terer: What can people do to help stop human trafficking?
Zorich: Our movie touches on all the different things you can do to be a part of ending human sex trafficking, because the NGO's we follow engage in every means possible and that are necessary to do so. The four avenues and or ways to engage in Anti Trafficking work are: Rescue, Aftercare, Prosecution and Prevention. Please go to our Website: thenewabolitionistsdoc.com and click on our: “What Can I Do?” page. You can partner with any of the organizations we feature in the film by: sponsoring an "At Risk" child or family, financing one of the programs these NGO's have created, offering any service, talent or gifting you have to the organization (if you are a teacher or doctor or lawyer or hairdresser…etc.) You can train young women and children or go and set up a training system for them. Most of these women and children come from hard hit areas of life with poverty, abuse, and regions that lack governmental or local infrastructures to care for them and to protect them. Start a business and send a portion of your proceeds to an anti-trafficking group where you have done your due diligence and researched and trust and believe in the work that they do. Hiring women who have come out of this experience is another way to be directly of service. Also, to truly attack this criminal industry is going take applying social pressure to our local and national public servants. This should never become a partisan issue. When I started making the movie, I remember thinking this is one issue we all can agree on. Ask one of these anti-trafficking groups what they need and provide it. And, pray! I believe in the power of prayer. Pray about your place or role in this battle. And, finally, any attempt to stop, impede, or heal cruelty, injustice, or abuse to children or women is a win! You are implicitly a part of righting this issue. Be creative; come up with your own idea to implement change.
Terer: What was the most surprising thing you encountered during filming?
Zorich: The "most surprising thing" I encountered shooting was...everything. It was an incredible learning experience about life, movie making, myself, and others. Well, actually, on second thought...the greatest surprise was the incredible kindness, affection, and generosity of the children and families I meet in the slums of Phnom Penh. So much warmth. So open. Lovey beautiful people. All you want to do is give them anything and everything they stand in need of. It was a very fulfilling and beautiful feeling to be able to connect with them. More specifically, realizing and watching the fear I had of people in their situation melt away. So much fear that ended up being, ultimately, meaningless and unfounded.
Terer: What is the impact you want this film to have on the viewers?
Zorich: I hope The New Abolitionists does what I was once told great teachers do: "Lead students to the threshold of their own mind."
Here is more info on the The New Abolitionists screening:
The New Abolitionists – Christina Zorich (Los Angeles, California)
I have been on an Odyssean journey since I first became aware of the existence of human sex trafficking in 2012. The New Abolitionists came into being, slowly. I studied, investigated, and learned from activist missionaries who were giving everything to see an end. With this film, I set out to not only expose the causations of trafficking but to reveal practical solutions. My hope is that following these brave abolitionists and their organizations will inspire others to join the fight in whatever way they can—small or large. 2020; 99 min.
Friday, February 19, 2021 - $12=General
Film will be available on VOD (Video On Demand) for 24 hours on Friday, February 19.
To buy tickets for this screening go here:
https://watch.eventive.org/newjerseyfilmfestival2021/play/5faa92f69357f20055cf8fe3
Information:
https://newjerseyfilmfestival2021.eventive.org/welcome
https://newjerseyfilmfestival2021.eventive.org/schedule
(848) 932-8482; www.njfilmfest.com
