Trafficking Survivor-Vetted Film List

“Survivors have never been voiceless; we just need to be listened to.”

– Trafficking Survivor

The trafficking survivor-vetted film list is a project led by hundreds of survivors around the world

In 2022, an extremely harmful and inaccurate film about human trafficking was about to debut. When asked what alternative films about human trafficking were recommended, trafficking survivor, journalist, screenwriter, and “retired” child actor, Sabra Boyd, realized there wasn’t a comprehensive list. Far too often, people with no lived experience or expertise of human trafficking produce, direct, fund, and write films about human trafficking, dramatically shaping the public’s misunderstanding of this issue. This misinformation shapes policies, legislation, funding, policing, and services that directly impact real victims of human trafficking.

Sabra set to work with other trafficking survivors around the world to develop a list of survivor-vetted films that accurately and sensitively depict different aspects of human trafficking, and the spectrum of vulnerability and exploitation that traffickers prey upon.

*The human trafficking survivor-vetted film list is periodically updated and voted on to include new films from around the world.

This Month’s Featured Films

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Full Movie List

Animal Kingdom (2010 – Australia) – scripted feature film – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1313092/

Themes:

Familial Labor Trafficking

Forced Criminality

Addiction

Poverty

Organized Crime

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The Workers Cup (2018) – documentary – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6333084/

Themes:

Labor Trafficking

Forced Labor

Immigrant Rights

Sporting Events

Poverty

Racism

Construction Industry

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Survivor Made (2024) – documentary – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33297838/ 

Themes:

Trafficking survivors’ lives

Investing in survivors

Entrepreneurship and survivor-led and owned businesses

Economic opportunities

Disparity

Poverty

Social investment

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Nona (2017) – scripted feature film – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6902708/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_7_tt_3_nm_5_q_nona

Themes:

Immigrant rights

Poverty

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We Need to Talk About Cosby (2022) – documentary – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16378210/

Themes:

Economic disparity and power dynamics

Systemic oppression and racism

Misogyny and racism in the legal system

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Untouchable (2019) – documentary – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9358228/

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Shiny Happy People (2023) – documentary – https://imdb.com/title/tt27715627/ 

Themes:

Religion

LGBTQ rights

Systemic child abuse

Corporal punishment

Grooming

Coercion

Brainwashing

Foster care system and child welfare corruption

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Saturday Church (2017) – scripted feature film – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loHVNlMKAx0

Themes:

LGBTQ rights and health
Religion

Community

Trans rights and healthcare

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Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey (2022) – documentary series – https://imdb.com/title/tt20560404/ 

Themes:

Forced Child Marriage

Youth Homelessness 

Religious abuse

Financial abuse

Domestic violence 

Rural exploitation social dynamics 

Child labor trafficking 

Coercion 

Construction industry and labor trafficking

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American Street Kid (2020) – documentary – https://www.americanstreetkid.com/

Themes:

Youth homelessness

2SLGBTQ+ vulnerability

Poverty

Systemic oppression and racism

Foster care system and child welfare corruption

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Pier Kids (2019) – documentary – https://www.criterionchannel.com/pier-kids/videos/pier-kids-trailer

Themes:

Youth homelessness

2SLGBTQ+ vulnerability

Poverty

Systemic oppression and racism

Foster care system and child welfare corruption

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Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) – scripted feature film – https://imdb.com/title/tt0252444/ 

Themes:

Domestic servitude

Foster care and child welfare corruption and abuse

MMIP

Systemic Racism

Genocide

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The Stroll (2023) – documentary – https://imdb.com/title/tt24079774/

Themes:

Homelessness / Housing

2SLGBTQ+ vulnerability

Poverty

Systemic oppression and racism
Urban planning

Healthcare access

Transphobia 

Homophobia 

Sex worker rights

Police violence and corruption 

Carceral system 

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Surviving R. Kelly (2019) – series documentary – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8385496/

Themes:

Youth homelessness 

Poverty

Systemic oppression and racism

Foster care system and child welfare corruption

Police brutality / apathy and neglect of trafficking victims

“Perfect victim” trope

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Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich (2020) – series documentary – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12312250/

Themes:

Youth homelessness

2SLGBTQ+ vulnerability

Poverty

Addiction

Systemic oppression

Foster care system and child welfare corruption

Wealth and the unethical existence of billionaires

Government corruption

Police brutality / apathy and neglect of trafficking victims

Prosecutors’ corruption

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Surviving Epstein (2020) – documentary – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10713688/
Themes:

Youth homelessness

2SLGBTQ+ vulnerability

Poverty

Addiction

Systemic oppression

Foster care system and child welfare corruption

Wealth and the unethical existence of billionaires

Government corruption

Police brutality / apathy and neglect of trafficking victims

Prosecutors’ corruption

“Perfect predator” and “perfect victim” trope (for more info on this, please contact Sabra Boyd)

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Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich (2022) – documentary – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22892896/

Themes:

Youth homelessness

2SLGBTQ+ vulnerability

Poverty

Addiction

Systemic oppression

Foster care system and child welfare corruption

Wealth and the unethical existence of billionaires

Government corruption

Police brutality / apathy and neglect of trafficking victims

Prosecutors’ corruption

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Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna) (2007) – scripted feature film – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0796307/

Themes:

Immigration policies that create artificial vulnerability that traffickers prey upon

Poverty

Orphanhood (see also: COVID and rates of parents and caretakers dying)

Domestic servitude

Forced labor

Agriculture industry

Border

Immigrant rights

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Palm Trees and Power Lines (2022) – scripted feature film – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15257116/

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Monster in the Shadows (2021) – documentary – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15239868/

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Girl in the Picture (2022) – documentary – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21059520/

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Spotlight (2015) – scripted feature film – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1895587/

Themes:

Systemic oppression and corruption

Religious trauma

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Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (2023) – documentary – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24141700/

Themes:

Forced child labor

Familial trafficking

Familial financial abuse

Addiction

Domestic violence / child abuse

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Unseamly: The Investigation of Peter Nygård (2021) – documentary – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7-qx_IgHpw

Themes:

Poverty

Extreme wealth disparity

Systemic oppression

Racism

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Fast Food Nation (2006) – scripted feature film – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460792/

Themes:

Immigrant rights

Labor rights

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Truth Be Told (Season 3) (2023) – scripted series (AppleTV) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SivtMhhvSU

Themes:

Racism

“Perfect victim” trope

Police and media biased coverage / investigations

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Holes (2003) – scripted feature film – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0311289/

Themes:

Court diversion programs and prisons’ state-sponsored forced labor

Poverty

Systemic oppression

For-profit carceral programs / corporations

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Alice (2022) – scripted feature film – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11040762/

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Orange is the New Black – various episodes – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2372162/

Themes:

State-sponsored forced labor

Poverty

Systemic oppression

For-profit carceral programs / corporations

LGBTQ rights

Systemic oppression and racism

Misogyny and racism in the legal system

White supremacy

Sexual assault

DV and IPV

Power dynamics

Education access

Government corruption

Housing

Foster care and the child welfare system

Transportation

Police and Media biased coverage / investigations

Addictions

Reproductive rights and healthcare access

Food insecurity and nutrition

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13th – documentary – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5895028/ 

Themes:

State-sponsored forced labor in prisons

Systemic white supremacy

Carceral and legal systems

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This Adventure Called California (2021) – documentary – https://www.treeclimbermedia.org/this-adventure-called-california.html 

Themes:

Labor Trafficking

Immigrant Rights

Construction Industry

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California’s Forgotten Children (2023) – documentary – https://www.californiasforgottenchildren.com/ 

Themes:

Foster Care to Trafficking Pipeline

Domestic Violence and Child Abuse

Familial Trafficking

Child Trafficking

Homelessness

Poverty

Systemic Racism and Misogyny / White Supremacy

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Very Young Girls (2007) – documentary – https://www.imdb.com/video/vi1620165401/ 

Themes:

Legal system wrongly prosecuting teenagers who’ve been trafficked

Systemic Racism and Misogyny / White Supremacy

Carceral system

Poverty and youth homelessness

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Black Girl Missing (2023) – scripted feature – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26453917/ 

Themes:

Racism in the media and policing

White supremacy

Missing children

Internet grooming