Tráfico Humano

Unfortunately I could not rate a 10, the word excellent thru me off. From about the first ten minutes in, this movie made me sick, sad, terrified and left me feeling helpless. I never could have imagined what I was about to see...or feel. My mind went for days and I could not sleep for more than twenty mins. at a time the night after I watched the first part. I waited two days to watch the 2nd, knowing that I needed to be undisturbed and aware of how I would feel while watching. It's true that I would have never thought this to be a TV movie, as I have never felt so much sickness. This movie is an eye opener as well as a motivator...in my attempt to learn even more, I had to check out the actresses and actors of this film to see them out of character, of course to make myself feel better to go to sleep in my safe little bed. But, to serve the purpose of rating the movie, it was more than I think I have ever "had." It hit real hard in every way possible, and I am thankful at least for the knowledge. But so sad. The crew did a great job, acting, directing, etc. The truth, alone, is horrific.

Kudos to Mira Sorvino (who has become a crusader on this), Lifetime, and producers for making this important expose of this vicious crime. The 4 hour opus charts a single Russian mobster as he kidnaps, rapes, and transports girls into America and around the world. Of course Mira and Donald Sutherland as ICE agents heroically chase the villains, but in reality very little is done to control these vicious predators- police are usually the problem, since they have no understanding or sympathy for the plight of captive "whores", whom they punish and bully for their supposed crimes.

I was a reporter for over 2 years in Russia, and have seen the monstrosity of these criminals and awesome beauty, sweetness, romanticism, and eroticism of the girls there- who are brought up to defer to and please men. In a place where people would make $20 a month, girls would jump at any Western job, which could give them a real life. Lured by an imaginary secretarial or maid job in Europe, they would have documents taken and quickly be raped and broken into total submission. Huge numbers are sent to Israel, where the government ignores problem. But all over the world, Russian girls are wanted by traffickers and johns for their great beauty, literacy, and skills.

An incredible NPR report explained how young girls are shipped to filthy Mexican nightmare brothels where they have to service 30-50 clients a day, then smuggled into America, where they are handed off to other pimps at Disneyland. By this time they are so terrorized and shattered that they don't even try to get away.

A Russian father improbably joins the traffickers to find and rescue his daughter.

If anything this docudrama soft-peddles the horrors- but TV couldn't take the unvarnished truth. It should be mandatory viewing for every American, especially all law enforcement. This hideous crime should be treated as seriously as genocide, since it is. As Sorvino says in the end, the shelve life of these girls before they are used up, killed, or diseased is 4 years, and some 800,000 are trafficked every year- several Darfurs, Bosnias, Kosovos, Iraqs put together.

The statistics are shocking. The story is grim. And the biggest market for women and children sex slaves is the United States, much to our shame. Every person should see this movie. I hope ABC, CBS, or NBC will pick it up and show it so all can see it, not just ones who have cable. Keep in mind, the type of person who can afford to do this are primarily upper middle class professional men who have nefarious appetites to do the worst possible acts of mankind. The last few minutes are the most important of the entire film where Mira Sorvino's character states clearly the facts and why this is allowed to go on, because there is a market for it particularly here in the United States. God have mercy on humankind.

I am so glad I seen this movie. As much as it sickened me it also made me realize just how bad this problem is because I never knew. It saddens me a lot that we protect our country from terrorists and they are always in the news, but we do not seem to be doing nearly enough to stop human trafficking and never hear of it in the media, my thanks to Lifetime for opening our eyes. If we are going to fight the war on terrorism then we should also be fighting the war on human trafficking. Our own daughters and friends and teachers are being taken from their lives and being forced to be sex slaves to men that we thought we could trust: Doctors, lawyers,etc. It is our duty in this country to protect our citizens! So why aren't we? I pray that these women and children from our country and all over the world will be rescued from this hell on earth and that these pigs causing this hell will be brought to justice! And a final word advise, whatever you do, PLEASE DO NOT try to find love on the internet, it could cost you your freedom!

In Prague, Czech Republic, the single mother Helena (Isabelle Blais) is seduced by a successful handsome man and travels with him to spend a weekend in Vienna, Austria; in Kiev, Ukraine, the sixteen-year-old Nadia (Laurence Leboeuf) is selected by a model agency and travels to the United States with the other selected candidates; in Manila, Philippines, the twelve-year-old American tourist Annie Gray (Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse) is abducted in front of her parents. In common, the girls become victims of a powerful international network of sex traffickers leaded by the powerful Sergei Karpovich (Robert Carlyle). In New York, after the third death of young Eastern European prostitutes, the obstinate Russian-American NYPD agent Kate Morozov (Mira Sorvino) convinces the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Chief Bill Meehan (Donald Sutherland) to hire her, promising him that she would fight against this type of crime and that he would not regret.

"Human Trafficking" is the third great movie that I have watched about this sad reality. "Lilja 4-ever" and "Anjos do Sol" are extremely pessimist and realistic, but focused in the life of only one character. "Human Trafficking" gives a big picture how these gangs operate, following the drama of three lead characters. Mira Sorvino is wonderful, as usual, and her final speech about this profitable slavery of the Twentieth-First Century and the sexual tourism is very realistic and touching. The direction is excellent, the screenplay is very well written and the whole cast deserves to be congratulated for their magnificent performances. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Tráfico Humano" ("Human Traficking")