Will 12 Years a Slave help the fight against slavery?

Guddi was trafficked into Mumbai's sex industry aged 11. The first man she was forced to go with brutalised her so severely that she was hospitalised for three months. A dozen years on, she's still being forced to work the streets. Her story is now the subject of a moving documentary. Shot by British journalist Hazel Thompson, the film Taken offers a rare glimpse into the dangerous, day-to-day life of a sex worker. With Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave winning the Oscar for best film on Sunday, the subject is in the spotlight in Hollywood and anti-slavery groups are increasingly using film to raise awareness. The UK-based Jubilee Campaign has worked with Thompson to launch her film in an e-book format, with links to e-petitions, fund raising options and other calls to action. US advocacy group Free the Slaves, which was co-founded by a filmmaker, has created documentaries on everything from slavery in Africa's cocoa fields to forced prostitution in the US. Its latest film Stand With Me, a collaboration with photographer Lisa Kristine, is currently premiering across the US. "One of our key strategies is to go out and video and photograph slavery in places where the news media isn't going to go," says Terry FitzPatrick, spokesperson for Free The Slaves. The visual impact of films is not in doubt, but depicting modern-day slavery on screen is not without major challenges. First and most obvious is the criminality and violence associated with the industry. At most risk is the enslaved individual. To protect their anonymity, filmmakers often dub people's voices or shield their faces on screen. Striking the balance between telling a compelling story and protecting your sources is a dilemma every filmmaker faces, says Thompson. She only chose to publicise Guddi's experience after extensive discussion with her about the potential risks. The physical process of filming can also be dangerous. Filming a dramatic rescue may make for great TV, but may have consequences for the individual as well as local human rights workers. Many of them have spent years slowly building connections among slavery networks. "If you drag in TV crews, the game would immediately be up," says FitzPatrick. The sheer complexity of modern-day slavery throws up additional challenges for filmmakers. Everyone wants the black and white Hollywood story, notes Thompson. "But slavery is not like that." How people end up enslaved, why they struggle to escape, what awaits them after captivity: none of these questions fit a simple narrative, nor are they straightforward to address on screen." Working with anti-trafficking experts can help filmmakers tease out some of these complexities, advises Bradley Myles, chief executive of the Polaris Project, a US advocacy group. His organisation was called in to provide specialist counsel for 12 Years a Slave, as well as the independent documentary Not My Life. "We make suggestions around ensuring the film portrays trafficking in a realistic way, that's not over embellished or sensationalised," Myles says. NGOs can also play a key role in a film's marketing and distribution. The World Affairs Councils of America, for example, organised over 50 screenings of Not My Life across its nation-wide network of local chapters last year. Advocacy groups often provide an online platform for film-makers as well. Free The Slaves runs on YouTube and Vimeo pages that feature copious amounts of material, for example, from short news clips to feature-length documentaries. And a film's impact doesn't have to end with its screening. Promoting audience discussion and debate after a film's screening is "absolutely critical" for films about slavery, says John Biaggi, director of the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival . It provides the opportunity for viewers to probe issues further and, ideally, to decide what actions they can take. Such post-screening debate isn't just restricted to human rights festivals. Hollywood films generate a media buzz that opens doors for anti-slavery advocates. Anti-Slavery International, for example, has persuaded director Steve McQueen to become one of its formal ambassadors. "I am sure that his voice will add a great urgency to the unfinished struggle to end slavery for all," says Aidan McQuade, director at the UK-based charity. Free the Slaves, meanwhile, has struck a deal with the producers of the audio book of 12 Years a Slave to receive 20% of all sale receipts. What the Hollywood format is designed to do so well is leave the viewers on a hopeful note. Documentarians are tied closer to the reality of messy endings. Whatever the genre, films on slavery are serving to raise public awareness. The very best can drive viewers to action as well. That's where the medium's real hope lies. As Terry Tennens, chief executive of the International Justice Mission argues: "Films like '12 Years a Slave' can initiate a deeper conversation about the reality of injustice in this world, including modern-day slavery, and what can – and is – being done to overcome and prevent such abuse." Join the community of global development professionals and experts. Become a GDPN member to get more stories like this direct to your inbox