She Has a Name, the 2016 Canadian drama, was released in the UK this month and will be shown at selected cinemas across the country during the coming weeks. The film’s primary focus is the harrowing story of two young girls who become victims of trafficking in Thailand. The film highlights the level of human trafficking; the height of corruption and the power businessmen yield from such a despicable activity in such an evidently lawless environment.
The story begins with a US lawyer called Jason (Giovanni Mocibob) posing as a tourist to build a legal case against a ruthless pimp (Will Yun Lee) who is trafficking girls across Asia. Jason meets ‘NUMBER 18’ (Teresa Ting), a 16-year-old girl forced to work as a prostitute in a busy red light district, whose testimony is key to his case. He must convince her to risk her life to testify for the sake of justice.
This monumental work is from a family of brothers. It was directed by Mathew and Daniel Kooman and is the adaptation of the critically acclaimed stage play by Andrew Kooman. The acting, photography, and production form a body of work that is thought-provoking, authentic, emotionally intelligent as well as entertaining. Aside from capturing the natural beauty of Thailand’s landscape, it’s remarkable to know this film was shot at existing sex clubs and districts populated with tourists where trafficking is rampant.
The film was launched at a key moment in the anti-trafficking movement; In November 2014, a global mutli-faith community gathered to pledge that they would do everything in their power to end human slavery by 2020. ‘She Has a Name’ is truly a creative protest that allows filmmakers to contribute to a campaign that highlights the injustice of human trafficking and the corruption that allows it to thrive. The film is now part of the ‘She Has a Name movement’ partnered by IRIS Cambodia, IJM Canada, and GlowbalAct. The promotion of the film across the UK is supported by White Screen Promotions.
The film deals with an emotional subject and will keep you thinking about the injustices in life. This is the type of film that enables you to see how important and impacting filmmaking can be. It is hard hitting and needs to be talked about, particularly when the issue addressed is a global one. The figures for human trafficking in the UK alone are astonishing. Over 3,800 human trafficking victims were submitted to the National Referral Mechanism in 2016, which is a 17% increase from the previous year. Moreover, 2017 statistics from the UK’s national crime agency suggest Albanian, UK and Vietnamese nationals are the most commonly reported potential victims of human trafficking in the Britain. This is a major issue and this film artistically draws attention to a problem society, particularly our politicians, should address.
For further information or to purchase a ticket please visit the She Has A Name’s Our Screen page . The film showings will be followed by a Q&A with the host, award winning actor and screenwriter, David J Keogh and Daniel White of White Screen Promotions.
Get tickets: https://www.ourscreen.com/film/She-Has-A-Name
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Movie Rating: 4 stars.
Movie Ratings Guide
1 Star = Unwatchable
2 Stars = Cannot Recommend
3 Stars = Will Watch Again/For the Fans
4 Stars = A Solid Movie
5 Stars = Must Own (DVD/Stream Download)
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