SOLD: Thailand Documentary Screening

I went out to Fuller Seminary is Pasadena tonight to see SOLD Thailand, a screening/first cut of a documentary regarding child prostitution across Thailand. The film was made by an organization called The Sold Project, and more information can be found at thesoldproject.org

In the summer of 2007, seven young people (under 30) journeyed through Thailand with its sole purpose to film a documentary exposing the plight of children trapped by prostitution.

The documentary states that sex tourism is the country's number one form of income. That statement alone is mind-boggling. As with other similar documentaries, Sold Thailand shows the vulnerability of young children because of 1) how poor a large amount of the population is and 2) the demand of sex.

It's simple, if the demand wasn't there, there wouldn't be as much devastation as there currently is right now. This hour. This minute. This second. But because Thailand has become the capital for sex tourism, people flock from all over the globe. The documentary hinted at this statement in their intro by showing older Caucasian men with young Thai girls.

The documentary was definitely engaging due to the fact that the topic for me is always engaging. Other documentaries have gone more in-depth in reporting, but this was a creative expression of four lives that either were dramatically altered or potentially could have.

With thousands of young children on the street due to broken homes, rebellious attitudes, or a lack of fundamental support, these thousands of children are now potential victims to be sold. One interview described that the street children are either sleeping on the streets, have gone back home, or in a room with a foreigner. Brutal.

The documentary does give hope though with numerous aid workers volunteering their lives to protect lives. Whether its working to help fund scholarships to help students stay in school to keep them out of city brothels, or helping Burmese not fall into the snares of prostitution because of their lack of documentation, light still shines. In the midst of darkness there is till hope, and there still is Christ working in people.

-Geoff Kutnick