At the recent event at Rice University on October 22, 2012, I was asked to speak on a panel after the
premier screening of The Cantinera by Ruth Villatoro. Her documentary is about the women who drink
and have sex for money in the many cantinas in the Houston area.
I was so encouraged to see the audience response after viewing the film which follows the life of a
woman who was first sold as child for sex and the advocates who are working to help victims and
disrupt traffickers. Many had just learned about human trafficking during the film and were completely
shocked- others knew about human trafficking but were so angered that it was occurring openly in their
city. A fellow a advocate was Cat French of Exodus Cry – her van tours of locations around Houston
that have indicators of Human Trafficking were shown in the film and I believe that audience members
were eager to participate in a tour.
I am hopeful that this film will take a life and that many audiences will see what is happening in
most communities and learn how they can make their communities safe for trafficked victims and
unwelcoming to traffickers.
Please share and post this blog so that others can know about the film and recognize this as just one of
the many schemes of human trafficking that occurs in most of our communities.
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