CALL AND RESPONSE

A “docu-concert” to help end slavery. Very compelling. Extremely moving. Highly education.

The tagline of the film is “the first feature rockumentary to expose the world’s 27 million most terrifying secrets.” The film both terrifying and hopeful all the same. It is terrifying because there are 27 million people (mostly children) doing things they should never be doing and hopeful because things are being done to help them out of their slavery. In fact, there are up to 200,000 slaves in the U.S.

Most the film revolves around the slaves who work in the brothels in India, Cambodia as well as eastern European nations. The film briefly talks about the child soldiers in African countries. What you watch is unbelievable. What is also unbelievable is how many big cooperation are profiting off of these slaves. This film is beyond sweat shops. It takes you to a much darker but real place.

There are two main thoughts that gripped me while watching the 90 minute documentary. 1) What goes through a person’s mind when they “contract out” a 13 year old to perform sexual acts or go to war to kill? 2) what would drive someone to pay money to have a sexual act performed on them by a child? How “hurting” must that individual be if they are one of those two people? It is hard to wrap my mind around those two thoughts.

The rockumentary features performances from musicians Imogen Heap, Rocco DeLuca, Talib Kweli, Cold War Kids, Switchfoot and Matisyahu, as well as a fascinating history of the relationship between music and slavery delivered by Cornel West. Some of the more key individuals interviewed are Ashley Judd, Madeleine Albright and Julia Ormond. The footage of children in slavery to go along with the interviews of the activists and musical performances is woven together quite brilliantly.