Sisters For Sale has been my life for the past 3.5 years.
It’s a powerful and very personal feature documentary about the search for my missing friends.
Kidnapped from their homes in Vietnam, they were trafficked into China and sold as teenaged brides to strangers.
By the time I found them in China, my friends had given birth, and each faced a decision no mother should ever have to make: the choice between her child and her freedom.
Sisters For Sale is a story of hope and courage in the face of overwhelming odds. It is a story like no other, and I’ve risked my life to bring it to the world.
For 3.5 years, I’ve given my time, my energy, and my skills as an award-winning filmmaker. I’ve given every last cent of my personal savings – and it hasn’t been enough.
Next month, I’ll be launching a final, make-or-break fundraising campaign to save Sisters For Sale.
As part of the campaign, I’m very excited to be releasing the first 40 minutes of the 100-minute film. For the very first time, you’ll be able to see what I’ve been fighting for.
You’ll follow me to Vietnam, you’ll meet my local friends there, and you’ll understand what makes them so vulnerable to human trafficking.
You’ll see a girl get kidnapped in Vietnam, you’ll see a forced marriage in China, and you’ll understand why the forced brides are the lucky ones.
You’ll follow me across the border, as I risk my life to find my missing friends in China – and that’s only the beginning.
Those of you who have supported my work over the past 3.5 years will have the first exclusive access to the film.
This film represents 3.5 years of my life. Friends have told me that in giving it away, I’m giving away too much – and they may be right.
But this film was made to be seen, to make a difference against the global human trafficking crisis, and I want to share it with you.
Those of you who have given over $50, or have supported my work in other ways, will have your names appear in the film.
I’ve just compiled the list of names.
Looking through that list, I see those of you who supported me from the very beginning, when The Human, Earth Project was nothing more than a hopeful idea.
I see those of you who supported me during the search, and attempted rescue, of my friends.
I see those of you who have supported me through all the long months of translating, transcribing, scripting and editing – and I thank you.
I’ve added the list below. If your name is missing or needs correction, please let me know.
Looking back over the list, I see how far we’ve come. Let’s go a little further, and finish this together.
Next month, I’ll be calling on your support once more. I’ve carried Sisters For Sale as far as I can: next month, it will be in your hands.
The film is just the first of the surprises I’ve arranged for you, and there are plenty more to come.
The funds raised will help me finish Sisters For Sale, to keep fighting human trafficking.
They’ll also help Ethos and I make a very real difference on the ground: we’ll be launching a human trafficking prevention program amongst high-risk villages of northern Vietnam, to stop the trafficking of young women and girls.
If you haven’t yet seen the Sisters For Sale trailer, it’s now available in four languages – English, Spanish, French and German.
A big thank you to Claire Bannerman-Mott and Simone for managing our Twitter feed – follow us there @HumanEarthPr.
Check out the list of names below – if you find anything amiss, please contact Simone at:
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Sisters For Sale credits:
A special mention will be given to those who have been closest to the project, or have supported it in unique ways:
Claire Bannerman-Mott, John and Motoko Bardos, Georges Blanchard, Michael Brosowski, Catherine Irwin-Gibson, Benjamin George Griffin, Qiuda Guo, Myste Laquinta, Dustin Main, Barry O’Kane, Simone, Tracey Smith, Belinda Warfield, Ben Warren, my friends in Sapa and my family.
The musicians involved so far include:
Joseph Chang (AKA Cello Joe), Rami Shaafi, Kosma Solarius, Michael Taylor and Chris Tenz.
There are those of you involved in producing and translating the trailer:
Jaen Nieto Amat, Johanna Leiner, Maria Julia Ravera and Betheny Zolt.
A heart-felt thank you to the others who have made Sisters For Sale possible:
Noor Syuhada Abdul Ghani, ADRA, Marco Agner, Samata Agrawal, Dr. Aamir Bini Akbar, Vance Akins, Roddy Al Ghazali, Amaia, Alliance Anti-Trafic, Paul Amechi, Chiara Andolina, Carlin Aylsworth, Leila Azul, Mitchell Backhausen, Lucas Baethke, Arash Bahremand, Taraneh Bahremand, Ellen Bard, Mary Bard, Jeremy Baron, Corbett Barr, Belinda Bauer, Vincent Baumont, Gretchen Beerline, Debbie Bender, Carole Bennett, Paul Bevan, Nicolas Bianchi, Nathan Biddle, Maider Birett, Este-Mari Bloem, Lola Boatwright, Jess Bolton, Luca Borney, Toni and Bob Brewer, Jacqui Brunckhorst, Lydian Brunsting, Sarah Buttery, Josh Byrne, Gustaf Byström, Anne Capararo, Lisa Carlsson, Nektaria Charitaki, Christine Cheung, Francoise Chevalier, Renaud Cheyrou, Sovet Chheang, Mickey Choothesa, Anna Chrystie, Chu, Timothy Collins, Hugh Compton, Nick Conneff, Mark Connors, Taylor Conroy, Jude and Ted Cooper, Ron Cooper, Daniel Cromidas, Adrian Cullen, Luca Cunia, Ade Darma, Natalie Davis, Roxanne De Bruyn, Hubert De Murard, Charles De Vos, Jeremy Delaplane, Toan Do Quoc, Romana Dockalova, Documentary Arts Asia, Alan Doherty, Colm Doherty, James Doherty, Mary Doherty, Niall Doherty, Tabea Donauer, Jen Dossetti, Matt Dunfee, Nora Dunn, Jess Edwards, Rino Esposito, Marta Farina, Charly Feldman, Dorothy Ferguson, Giacomo Ferraris, Jonathan Finch, Amy Flaherty, Gaelan Flaherty, FOCUS/TRAFCORD, Amara Fonseca, Jana Gabrhelova, Manuel Gaißer, Walter Gaißer, Adam Garnir, C. A. Gardner, Stephane Gelinotte, Catherine Gibson, Matthew Glen, Global Alms, Thomas Gobeaux, Ly-Jia Goldstein, Ana Goncalves, Simone Gribble, Rieneke Groteboer, Tal Gur, Babita Gurung, Adriaan Gussekloo, André Gussekloo, Moe Thet Han, Suzie Hanlan, Kristin Harder, Jacqueline Hennessy, Stacey Herbert, Lisa Holland, Charlotte Hussey, Yedda Hsu, Dianne Imison, Michelle Imison, Ella Ireland, Tia Irma, Carola Irvine, Trix and Daan Irvine, Erin Jane, Leif Jansson, Rhanic Jenonk, Aju John, Fada and Ken Jones, Lisa-Marie Jordan, Erin Kamler, Medok and Dawa Kamsung, Doug Keast, Julie Kelley, Natasha Kemp, Joseph Kennedy, Christie Kermeen, Don Kiely, Joanne King, Beata Kis, Tatum Knight, Joni Koch, Liza Koch, Martin Kogan, Ben Lackey, Habibi Lalu, Laura Navarro Lara, Mike Le Grice, Ryan Libre, Nathanael Little, Katie Livingstone, Antoine Lobry, Sara Lundström, Sho Ly Thi, Mathew Magnay, Emily Magnotta, Mireille Maheu, Suong Mai, Sarah Masters, Davide Mattiello, Sammantha Mavin, Michelle McCombs, Shanna McIntyre, Sarah McKinnon, Duncan McLeod, Erin McNeaney, Charlie McRae, Jimmie Meader, Sarah Meaney, Asma Merchant, Sina Miakhail, Laurisia Milici, Jessica Miller, Rachel Miller, Daniel Mireault, Mina Modalsli, Anthony Molyneaux, Robyn Monteleone, Luc Morin, Layne Mostyn, Josh Mott, Frantz Muller, Kate Newick, Jose Neto, New Life Center Foundation, Luu Tuan Nghia, Duy Nguyen, Rebecca Osmond, David Palmer, Patsy and Arnold Palmer, Natalie Patch, Rebecca Paterson, Matt Patterson, Rosalie Pawlik, Hagai Peled, Kevin Peng, Emilie Porry, PPK, Paul Quarter, Dr. Yvonne Rafferty, Kerstin Raitl, Brian and Linda Randall, Katie Randall, Keith Randall, Dr. Will M. Randall, Ymke Raymakers, Johanna Read, Bec Regalo, Franziska Riechert, Cozy Requio, Thor Richardson, Gifny Richata, Amanda Robertson, Gunumaya and Laksman Roka, Riccardo Romano, Tiphanie Roquette, Jose Baena Ruiz, Sónia Saude, Russell Savige, Rami and Ivana Shaafi, Tal Shahar, Tamar Shahar, Bronwyn Sharman, Ben Shearon, Andrew Sheldon, Dr. Rebecca Shugg, Anu Virtanen Os Sinkkonen, Laura Snape, Samuel Snow, Sharlene Sobrepeña, Kerry and Malcolm Souter, Dr. Gina Spatafora, Julie Steinbach, Bettina Stübner, Tal Swissa, Fabrizio Tatti, Tom and Di Taylor, Dr. Aart Teunissen, Lucas Thacker, Thanh, Jasmine Thanh, Ashleigh Thomson, Dwight Turner Jr., Emily Tyler, Pal Ujvarosi, Max Urban, Jerome Vallet, Thais Vidal, Frederik Voss, Tom Watson, Anemi Wick, Kate Wilson, Serena Wong, Khou Xiong, Emi Yang and Jesse Zagorsky.