Submitted by Eye on Dependency
Eye on Dependency has partnered with the Counter Trafficking Unit through the film Trafficked, which is being used as an educational tool for different target groups
ON A CHILLY London night in 2012, we stumbled upon the true story of three friends who let their guard down while on vacation. We had no idea it would turn into a feature film that would impact the lives of thousands of people.
At the TT Film Festival premiere in 2015, Trafficked was loudly applauded by the audience, which included then British high commissioner Tim Stew. During his remarks, Stew hinted at the role the film would go on to play in highlighting the profitability of trafficking in all its forms, particularly of humans. 'That's a big driver, a big incentive, whatever the commodity. And the risk - and the reality - is that routes designed for drugs serve well those who want to traffic other 'commodities.' Commodities? I mean guns and people. Usually women and girls.'
Trafficked was a story about the victims of drug trafficking, as the unwitting naive young people were lulled into a false sense of security, and then pounced upon by the trafficker, intent on delivering his commodity across borders, regardless of the cost to human life. It is the same tactic employed by human traffickers, who recruit and groom their victims, eventually taking away their freedom and autonomy.
We only learned of the similarities when the Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU) showed an interest in the film for its vivid depiction of the methods used by human traffickers. The CTU, established in 2013 under the Ministry of National Security, is an integral component in the national response to the global problem of human trafficking, as defined in the Trafficking in Persons Act Chapter 12:10. In addition to its interdiction and enforcement efforts, the CTU is also mandated to engage in prevention, including education and awareness, for which Trafficked proved the ideal tool.
Since 2015, Trafficked has been shown in a whole host of forums, at home and abroad. It serves as an introduction to the subject of human trafficking for community groups, faith-based organisations and students. It is used as a teaching aid for law enforcement officers - police, military, customs and immigration - on key indicators as well as the Act, Means and Purpose (AMP) of human trafficking. All these efforts culminated in international recognition in the annual Trafficking in Persons Report from the US Department of State. In 2017, Trinidad and Tobago was elevated to Tier 2 in the report, and Trafficked was cited as one of the reasons for the promoted status.
Such is the power of film! Eye on Dependency is grateful to be able to contribute, not only to the visual storytelling landscape of TT, but to the important work of conscious-raising on issues that never seem real, until they're in your face, or in this case, in full colour on the big screen.
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