The Storm Makers 2014
Distributed by First Run Features, 630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1213, New York, NY 10036; 212-243-0600
Produced by Rithy Panh, Julien Roumy
Directed by Guillaume Suon
DVD, color, 66 min., English subtitles
High School - General Adult
Cambodia, Child Rearing, Human Trafficking, Malaysia, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Slavery
Date Entered: 05/16/2017
Reviewed by Sandy Costanza D’Youville College, Buffalo, NYHuman trafficking is a horrific concept. Amazingly in this day and age it is a reality for many children in Cambodia. Poverty, desperation, hope for a better life, deception, slavery and just plain ignorance all contribute to this atrocity. The Storm Makers tells the story of Aya, a young girl sold by her family, forced to work for two years without wages. She is abused, raped, and has returned to her family with her son. The anguish in her eyes is heart-wrenching.
Exploited by the Storm Makers who are the traffickers many Cambodia children are sold into slavery, torture and prostitution. Families hoping for a better life pay the Storm Makers to place their children in respectable jobs. They not only take their money but their children are exploited. This film is a means of bringing this situation to the forefront for without outside intervention these children are destined to a horrible life.
Awards
- 2014 Busan International Film Festival, Mecenat Award for Best Asian Documentary Film
- 2015 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Inspiration Award (USA)
- 2015 Milan’s Festival of African, Asian and Latin American Cinema, “Windows on the World” Prize for the Best Feature Film