In the slums of Mexico City, the small time teenager thief Jorge (Cesar Ramos) gives a bike to his beloved sister Adriana (Paulina Gaitan) on her thirteenth anniversary under the protest of their mother. While riding early in the morning, Adriana is kidnapped by members of an international network of sex traffickers. Meanwhile, the gorgeous Polish single mother Veronika (Alicia Bachleda) arrives in Mexico City with a friend lured with the promise of a work in USA in a model agency by the same criminal gang. While transported to New Jersey, the two girls become friends and Veronika protects Adriana as much as she can. Meanwhile, Jorge desperately seeks his sister in the red light zone of Mexico. He witnesses children and the women being loaded as cargo in a truck and he tracks them trying to save his sister. When he arrives in Juarez, he sees the Texan investigator Ray Sheridan (Kevin Kline), who is chasing a missing daughter, in the house where his sister was lodged. He hides himself in the trunk of Ray's car and once in USA, Ray finds him and is convinced to help the boy in his quest.
Human trafficking is a sad reality of the contemporary days and together with drugs and weapons, they form the three greatest illegal worldwide trades. The societies need to give more attention to this profitable slavery of the Twentieth-First Century and consequent use of the victims in sexual tourism and other types of sexual exploitation, creating laws, investigating and punishing these sick and mean criminals. The way the children and the girls are treated like cattle, used and abused by perverts and sent from one man to another, is disgusting. The children and girls are abducted through different means, but in common, they become victims of a powerful international network of sex traffickers. "Trade" is the fourth great movie that I have watched about this sad reality. "Lilja 4-ever" and "Anjos do Sol" are extremely pessimist and realistic, but focused in the life of only one character. "Human Trafficking" gives a big picture how these gangs operate, following the drama of three lead characters. "Trade" is less crude and more Holywoodian, but it is still a very good film. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Desaparecidos" ("Missing")
Human trafficking is a sad reality of the contemporary days and together with drugs and weapons, they form the three greatest illegal worldwide trades. The societies need to give more attention to this profitable slavery of the Twentieth-First Century and consequent use of the victims in sexual tourism and other types of sexual exploitation, creating laws, investigating and punishing these sick and mean criminals. The way the children and the girls are treated like cattle, used and abused by perverts and sent from one man to another, is disgusting. The children and girls are abducted through different means, but in common, they become victims of a powerful international network of sex traffickers. "Trade" is the fourth great movie that I have watched about this sad reality. "Lilja 4-ever" and "Anjos do Sol" are extremely pessimist and realistic, but focused in the life of only one character. "Human Trafficking" gives a big picture how these gangs operate, following the drama of three lead characters. "Trade" is less crude and more Holywoodian, but it is still a very good film. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Desaparecidos" ("Missing")