Worth: $15.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Withelma ‘T’ Ortiz Walker Pettigrew, Carissa Phelps, Leah Albright-Byrd, Minh Dang
Intro:
... the hopeful message and inspiring call to action are just a few of the reasons why this film will stick with you.
California’s Forgotten Children brings to light the harrowing stories and experiences of children, women and men who fall prey to human trafficking in California. The debut feature by director Melody C. Miller is both confronting and crushing, yet through interviews with thriving survivors, reminds us of the hope that remains for victims.
The film interviews resilient survivors who have overcome sexual exploitation. We first hear about the first time each was exposed to the pimps and predators who coerced them into sex trafficking, often in painful, yet necessary detail. One of the most impactful aspects of the film is the diversity of the survivors, reminding us that sexual exploitation is not indicative of any particular group.
California’s Forgotten Children plays out in a hybrid documentary style that implements poetic flashbacks using actors, hand-drawn animation and talking head interviews. Tied into all of this are reminders of the ubiquitous nature of the issue, through sporadic statistics outlining victim percentages, demographics, and ages. These numbers, at times, become more confronting than the story.
Miller’s use of survivor-led stories allows the audience to remain hopeful, while listening to the harrowing retelling of child sex slavery. The final act of the film doubles down on this, showing us the illustrious, decorated and fulfilled lives victims of sexual exploitation can go onto. These people are leaders in the community, who are pushing for a widespread understanding of the issue and driving action against the actual criminals.
Stories such as that of Withelma ‘T’ Ortiz Walker Pettigrew, who was named one of Time Magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People in the World’, present us with not just a hopeful story, but an inspiring one. This may be the biggest strength of the film. We don’t look down on the survivors as troubled victims, but brave and inspiring heroes.
California’s Forgotten Children will be a harrowing watch for anyone. That is inherent within the subject matter itself. However, the hopeful message and inspiring call to action are just a few of the reasons why this film will stick with you.
