According to the FBI, human trafficking is the third largest criminal activity globally, with a value of $150 billion per annum. Humans are most commonly trafficked for sexual exploitation, and this happens in every country. There are twenty-five million global victims of sex trafficking, 20% of whom were children when trafficked. Globally 1 in 7 girls and 1 in 25 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. On some occasions, parents will even sell a child so that they can buy a new TV. This month is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and January 11th is the National Day of Human Trafficking Awareness.
So far, so grim. She Is… is, however, an uplifting documentary highlighting how one LA-based non-profit organization is rehabilitating survivors of sex trafficking and sexual abuse through the power of dance. Director Zuzana Lova follows She Is… founder Isabella Grosso as she works with fellow survivors, both in the US and in Thailand, in partnership with another non-profit agency, Destiny Rescue. After enduring years of child sexual abuse herself – from seven separate family members and associates – Isabella discovered a source of healing in the last place she’d expect it – her own body. The power of dance takes center stage in this documentary as we follow Isabella on her mission to help survivors of sex trafficking find healing.
Growing up in California, Isabella was sexually abused from age 5 onwards. At age 16 she became a stripper, with her cousin taking the bulk of her salary to cover the ‘expenses’ of helping Isabella ie acting as a pimp. This went on until Isabella was 26. She’s a strong, intelligent, beautiful force of nature, so if this can happen to her, it can happen to any young woman. Lova gives Isabella center stage to her film, alongside interviews with her family and colleagues, home videos, and footage of her at work. She’s a delight to watch on screen, and her charisma, warmth, and empathy mean she can easily gain the trust of fellow abuse victims. The victims gradually become survivors. This can take up to 24 months or longer. We watch the survivors learning to dance as a way to re-establish a positive relationship with their bodies and see their confidence grow as they make peace with the past and begin to realize they have self-worth and choices in life. To date, hundreds of victims have been helped by She Is… and Destiny Rescue. It’s easy to turn a blind eye to issues such as human/sex trafficking. Lova’s documentary, however, gives us the uncomfortable facts, but also shows how positive outcomes are possible, and so is an easier way to educate ourselves about this issue. Recommended viewing.
She Is…
a documentary film by
Zuzana Lova
Available on Demand 1/17/23
iTunes Pre-Order
https://www.destinyrescue.org/our-work/where-we-work/thailand/
Queerguru’s Contributing Editor Ris Fatah is a successful fashion/luxury business consultant (when he can be bothered) who divides and wastes his time between London and Ibiza. He is a lover of all things queer, feminist, and human rights in general. @ris.fatah
