The student-led organization HUmanity screened the documentary “Nefarious: Merchant of Souls” to students in the Administration Auditorium on Tuesday, March 20. HUmanity member junior Jessica Balley said between 500 and 600 students came to the screening and HUmanity raised $2,000 from merchandise sales and donations.
“Nefarious” was produced and released by Exodus Cry, a anti-trafficking organization “committed to abolishing modern-day slavery through prayer, awareness and reform, while assisting the victims of human trafficking and slavery through rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration into society,” according to exoduscry.com. In the documentary, writer, producer and director Benjamin Nolot travels the globe with a camera team to investigate the human trafficking industry, which primarily sells young girls into prostitution.
“We were able to give 100 percent of the money to women both overseas and in the United States who have been affected by human trafficking,” Balley said. “It was all from donations from students and merchandise sales. We did not even charge admission.”
The documentary featured interviews with real women and girls who had been either kidnapped or forced into prostitution by human traffickers or even impoverished family members. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world.”
Balley said she heard of “Nefarious” from friends in Colorado whose school had screened the documentary. Balley said the documentary reawakened her motivation to fight human trafficking.
“It renewed my determination to work for an end to slavery,” Balley said. “It is something that had been on my heart, but with schoolwork and college life, it had gotten shoved to the backburner. Now, my passion for it has been rekindled and I will do what I can while I can.”
Balley said HUmanity has been selling red thread bracelets as a part of the Red Thread Movement. The bracelets are woven by girls from Nepal who have been rescued from sex trafficking, and are sold for $3, which goes back to the girls as a source of income, according to sophomore Grace Allen, who is helping organize the Red Thread Movement on campus and has been selling the bracelets in the student center.
“I’m not sure how much money I have collected for Red Thread because we have to send the money in as soon as it’s collected, but I can safely say we raised about $400 at the last Red Thread booth and sold about 100 bracelets,” Allen said. “We will definitely be selling the bracelets the rest of the semester and probably next year as well.”
According to freshman Zack Roehl, HUmanity will host another documentary screening in the Administration Auditorium, this time showing a film called “At the End of Slavery,” which is narrated by actor Danny Glover and covers much of the same material as “Nefarious.” In addition to showing the film, Jenny Sorey, who has worked against human trafficking with the International Justice Mission, will be talking about her experiences.
Later, HUmanity will be hosting a “Loose Change to Loosen Chains” coin drive April 16 – 20 for the IJM, where students can throw loose change into the lily pond to raise money for IJM. And on April 28, they will have a benefit concert at Zion Rock Climbing Gym featuring the bands “Looking for Alaska” and “Boxer,” according to junior Ashli Roussel.
“Nefarious” goes on sale May 1 and can currently only be bought at group screenings. It is not yet rated by the Motion Picture Association of America, but viewer discretion is advised for mature content.
