Showing @ Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Sun 23 Sep only
Mimi Chakarova / USA/United Arab Emirates/Bulgaria/Moldova/Turkey / 2011 / 72 min
Cora Bissett reintroduced the issue of human trafficking two years ago with her brutally confrontational play Roadkill and films such as Born into Brothels (2004) have ignited the debate about how to tackle the deep-rooted crisis of sexual slavery. Following on from films including Baby Business in the 90s and TV programmes such as “The Beast” Nadia in 2009, Mimi Chakarova’s film offers a personal, emotive analysis of political corruption, trampled hope and how human trafficking has become a hugely profitable industry.
The film is the result of a nine year journey for Bulgarian-born Chakarova, which has taken her across Europe to interview women sold into slavery. She talks individually to young girls about how they were traded and also goes undercover as a prostitute to expose the nauseating clubs where the girls work – a dangerous plan to get a first-hand look. While this film refreshes the increasing urgency of sex trafficking, there is perhaps a greater need to address why corruption prevents the law from taking hold of the problem. Although Chakarova touches on this, a larger conversation about the inadequacy of the Trafficking Protocol or the trivialisation of human trading is needed; without this, the film only confirms notions of futility, entrenchment and unconquerable evil.
One thought on “The Price of Sex”