A “rockumentary” that reveals the world's “27 million dirtiest secrets” debuted quietly this past weekend, opening in only 10 theaters across the nation.
But while the film may not have been accompanied by the all the fanfare of blockbusters such as “Eagle Eye” and “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” “Call + Response” has arguably made a stronger and longer-lasting impression on its audiences.
“It's a great film that tackles the subject of human trafficking … using music, story, and the philosophy of blues,” commented blogger Andrew Jones.
“It (the modern day slave trade) is one of the greatest social sins of our time and must be addressed by all people; especially people of faith,” commented Jimmy McCarty of Southern California after seeing the film this past weekend with his wife.
The United Nations estimates there are at least 12.3 million people worldwide who work as slaves or in other forms of forced labor. In the United States, the State Department reports that 17,500 are trafficked into the country each year for forced prostitution or labor.
“There are more slaves today than ever before in human history,” says musician turned director and producer Justin Dillon who came across the issue of Human Trafficking while touring with his band in Russia.
Funded entirely by donations, “Call + Response” goes deep undercover where slavery is thriving from the child brothels of Cambodia to the slave brick kilns of rural India to shed light on an industry that made more money last year than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined.
The “rockumentary” features music from Grammy-winning and critically acclaimed artists as well as luminaries on the issue such as Cornel West, Madeleine Albright, Daryl Hannah, Julia Ormond, Ashley Judd, Nicholas Kristof, and many other prominent political and cultural figures who offer firsthand accounts of this 21st century slave trade.
According to Dillon, “Call + Response” has the unique position of being not only a ground-breaking genre-bending film, but also operates as a powerful movement.
“There is a sea of change happening in human rights activism,” he says on the film’s website.
And that change comes from community-based participation.
“The world’s issues cannot be solved alone by governments and non-profits,” Dillon says.
The film is calling millions of people across the world to respond at CallandResponse.com, “a ground-breaking robust online interactive platform, which combines the passion of justice and scope of a Presidential Campaign with the swagger of Rock & Roll.”
All profits from the use of the film, DVD, soundtrack, iTunes downloads will be directed, by the viewers, to interactive field projects created by Call + Response for each aspect of human slavery: sex slavery, labor slavery, child soldiers and child slavery.
The movie is currently being shown in 17 cities including Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Nashville, Orange County, Portland, Redwood City, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, and Washington.
Information on how to request for the film open in a new city is available at the movie’s website, CallandResponse.com.
