Campus film addresses human trafficking

A movie played Thursday night in the Wolff Auditorium addressing the world's fastest growing criminal business: Human Trafficking.

Produced by Far Trad Pictures, "Call and Response" documents the worldwide problem with expert interviews and big-name musical performances. Most importantly, it focuses onwhat individuals can do to help.

"It is directed at college kids," said freshman Nancy Carl, who organized the free event. "We are the future and we are the ones obligated to change and to stop it."

Carl called the film a "Rock-umentary. A bunch of bands, like Matisyahu, Five for Fighting, Talib Kweli, Switchfoot and Natasha Bedingfield came together to help make the movie," she said.

In all, 12 different artists and groups performed in the movie.

"It has been to other colleges like UCLA, Cal Poly, Harvard," Carl said. "My friend who goes to UCLA saw it and said it was amazing, which is why I wanted to play it here."

The director, Justin Dillon, came to the showing to speak about how college students can take action against what he calls "the world's 27 million most terrifying secrets" (meaning those who are currently enslaved). He presented 33 specific "Responses" or actions for Gonzaga Students to take to help solve the problem. These included "Tell Others, Invest in Change, and Consume Wisely."

The "Call," according to Carl, is the movie and the "Response" is students' action.
"He [Dillon] knows that college kids don't have money to give," Carl said. "So he tells how in everyday life we can respond the cause."

The movie revealed some staggering statistics. "There are more slaves today than ever before in history," one expert said. "In 2007, slave traders made more money than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined."

According to Carl, Dillon made the movie after meeting a girl in Russia who was forced into prostitution in her teens. After hearing her story, he knew he had to respond.

The movie's Web site, www.callandresponse.com, provides even more information on the issue. Included is an interactive map of the United States with pinpoints for documented incidences.

"It shows that two years ago there was a trafficking case in Coeur d'Alene," Carl said.
"It is the single most lucrative commercial enterprise in the world," actress Ashley Judd said in the movie.

Other experts and luminaries who were interviewed for the film included Cornel West, Madeleine Albright, Daryl Hannah, Julia Ormond and Nicholas Kristof.

"Why I am so passionate about it is because it is happening in our own backyard," Carl said. "It goes very unnoticed."

Carl received support in bringing the film to campus from the Gonzaga chapter of the International Justice Mission (IJM), which was started this fall.

"We are trying to raise awareness about injustices worldwide," said junior Kathy Kading, President and co-founder of IJM. "We are also fundraising to support efforts internationally, by putting on events that students are interested in."

"Nancy raised $2,000 to get the rights to play the movie," Kading said. "We put on other events but she did this by herself."

The resolve of these few students to end human trafficking and slavery is impressive and made an impact on many more Zags.

"This is something that we all have an obligation to stop," Carl said.