"I want to honor those who have suffered"
Ted Haddock, a member of Grace DC (PCA) in Washington D.C., traveled to Cambodia and the Philippines for 10 days last December to film a documentary about the modern-day slave trade, highlighting the plight of children as young as 5 years old sold into sex trafficking.
“It’s a global problem that manifests itself in a variety of forms,” said Haddock, the director of photography for International Justice Mission (IJM). “This is something that the God of all justice and mercy is absolutely concerned about. And it makes sense that as His followers, we simply fall in line with Him to fight and end it.”
Yet IJM, a human rights agency whose investigators, lawyers, and social workers secure justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and other forms of violent oppression, doesn’t seek to guilt its audience into action. “The important thing is that we tell the story, not that we hit people over the head with a ton of facts,” said Haddock.
“It’s a global problem that manifests itself in a variety of forms,” said Haddock, the director of photography for International Justice Mission (IJM). “This is something that the God of all justice and mercy is absolutely concerned about. And it makes sense that as His followers, we simply fall in line with Him to fight and end it.”
Yet IJM, a human rights agency whose investigators, lawyers, and social workers secure justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation, and other forms of violent oppression, doesn’t seek to guilt its audience into action. “The important thing is that we tell the story, not that we hit people over the head with a ton of facts,” said Haddock.
The 30-minute slave trade documentary, funded by a Humanity United grant, will be completed this summer and distributed later this year to IJM’s church partners, campus chapters, and several film festivals.
“It will be a great tool for education,” said Haddock. “We’re creating study materials to go along with the film that will help the everyday person tap into this issue and address the needs at hand.”
During December’s trip, Haddock’s second time to Cambodia, Haddock also was able to see a number of girls who had been rescued since his last visit. While the documentary crew was there, dozens of Cambodian police stormed into a number of brothels, rescuing 37 girls from the ages of 5 to18.
“The emotion snuck up on me,” he said. “It was beautiful to see these girls thriving now, to see the after-part of their story.”
To learn more about International Justice Mission, visit www.ijm.org.
“It will be a great tool for education,” said Haddock. “We’re creating study materials to go along with the film that will help the everyday person tap into this issue and address the needs at hand.”
During December’s trip, Haddock’s second time to Cambodia, Haddock also was able to see a number of girls who had been rescued since his last visit. While the documentary crew was there, dozens of Cambodian police stormed into a number of brothels, rescuing 37 girls from the ages of 5 to18.
“The emotion snuck up on me,” he said. “It was beautiful to see these girls thriving now, to see the after-part of their story.”
To learn more about International Justice Mission, visit www.ijm.org.
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