Human Trafficking (TV miniseries)
Encyclopedia
Human Trafficking is a television miniseries
about an American Immigration and Customs Enforcement
agent going undercover to stop an organization from trafficking people, and shows the struggles of three trafficked women. It premiered in the United States
on Lifetime Television
on October 24 and 25, 2005 and was broadcast in Canada
on Citytv
on January 2 and 3, 2006. It stars Mira Sorvino
, Donald Sutherland
, Rémy Girard
, and Robert Carlyle
.
, Czech Republic
, single mother Helena (Isabelle Blais) is seduced by a successful handsome man and travels with him to spend a weekend in Vienna
, Austria
. He then sells her to Human Traffickers and she is brought to New York
to work as a sex slave. In Kiev
, Ukraine
, sixteen-year-old Nadia (Laurence Leboeuf
) has recently finished school and, without her father's prior consent or knowledge, she enters a modelling competition. She is selected by the bogus model agency to travel to the New York with the other selected candidates, here she is forced into a life of sexual slavery. In Manila
, Philippines
, twelve-year-old American
tourist Annie Gray (Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse
) is abducted in front of her parents in a busy street by sex traffickers. She is forced into a child brothel with primarily services Sex tourists. In common, the girls become victims of a powerful international network of sex traffickers lead by the powerful Sergei Karpovich (Robert Carlyle
).
In New York, after the third death of young Eastern European prostitutes, obstinate Russian-American NYPD agent Kate Morozov (Mira Sorvino
) convinces the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Chief Bill Meehan (Donald Sutherland
) to hire her, promising him that she would fight against this type of crime and that he would not regret.
for broadcast on Lifetime Television. In April 2005 Muse announced that principal photography had begun and that a Canadian broadcaster would be announced shortly. The miniseries was filmed in Montreal
, Bangkok
, and Prague
and was completed in July 2005.
of the New York Times noted that Human Traficking "avoids the seedy sensationalism that cheapens so many television depictions of the crime" and that it is "a harsh public-service message built into a clever, suspenseful thriller."
Tom Shales
of The Washington Post
was more negative as he found the miniseries an odd subject for Lifetime to broadcast. He noted that in attempting to"expose a worldwide scandal" Human Trafficking "happens to expose vast amounts of flesh in the process -- exploitation about exploitation."
John Doyle
of The Globe and Mail
' was also negative towards the miniseries. He compared it to the "searing, shocking and hard to watch" CBC
/Channel 4
miniseries Sex Traffic
which "suggested a direct connection between the sex trade and NATO officials, and with Western corporations based in Eastern Europe. Doyle concluded that "While Human Trafficking is an international co-production with an international cast, it feels obstinately constructed to satisfy small-minded American viewers.
It was nominated for 2 other Gemini Awards:
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
about an American Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security , responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security...
agent going undercover to stop an organization from trafficking people, and shows the struggles of three trafficked women. It premiered in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
on October 24 and 25, 2005 and was broadcast in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on Citytv
Citytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
on January 2 and 3, 2006. It stars Mira Sorvino
Mira Sorvino
Mira Katherine Sorvino is an American actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Mighty Aphrodite and is also known for her role as Romy White in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.- Early life :Sorvino was born in Tenafly, New Jersey...
, Donald Sutherland
Donald Sutherland
Donald McNichol Sutherland, OC is a Canadian actor with a film career spanning nearly 50 years. Some of Sutherland's more notable movie roles included offbeat warriors in such war movies as The Dirty Dozen, , MASH , and Kelly's Heroes , as well as in such popular films as Klute, Invasion of the...
, Rémy Girard
Rémy Girard
Rémy Girard is a Canadian actor and former television host from Quebec.-Acting career:He played the role of Rémy, the main character, who is dying of terminal cancer, in the Canadian film Les Invasions barbares by director Denys Arcand. This film was awarded the 2003 Academy Award for best...
, and Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
.
Plot
In PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, single mother Helena (Isabelle Blais) is seduced by a successful handsome man and travels with him to spend a weekend in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. He then sells her to Human Traffickers and she is brought to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to work as a sex slave. In Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, sixteen-year-old Nadia (Laurence Leboeuf
Laurence Leboeuf
Laurence Leboeuf is a French Canadian actress. She is the daughter of Diane Lavallée and Marcel Leboeuf...
) has recently finished school and, without her father's prior consent or knowledge, she enters a modelling competition. She is selected by the bogus model agency to travel to the New York with the other selected candidates, here she is forced into a life of sexual slavery. In Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, twelve-year-old American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tourist Annie Gray (Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse
Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse
Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse is a Canadian actress.- Filmographie :* 1997 : Le Volcan tranquille * 2003 : Summer with the Ghosts : Caroline* 2004 : 15/Love : Sunny Capuduca...
) is abducted in front of her parents in a busy street by sex traffickers. She is forced into a child brothel with primarily services Sex tourists. In common, the girls become victims of a powerful international network of sex traffickers lead by the powerful Sergei Karpovich (Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
).
In New York, after the third death of young Eastern European prostitutes, obstinate Russian-American NYPD agent Kate Morozov (Mira Sorvino
Mira Sorvino
Mira Katherine Sorvino is an American actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Mighty Aphrodite and is also known for her role as Romy White in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.- Early life :Sorvino was born in Tenafly, New Jersey...
) convinces the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Chief Bill Meehan (Donald Sutherland
Donald Sutherland
Donald McNichol Sutherland, OC is a Canadian actor with a film career spanning nearly 50 years. Some of Sutherland's more notable movie roles included offbeat warriors in such war movies as The Dirty Dozen, , MASH , and Kelly's Heroes , as well as in such popular films as Klute, Invasion of the...
) to hire her, promising him that she would fight against this type of crime and that he would not regret.
Cast
- Mira SorvinoMira SorvinoMira Katherine Sorvino is an American actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Mighty Aphrodite and is also known for her role as Romy White in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.- Early life :Sorvino was born in Tenafly, New Jersey...
– Agent Kate Morozov/Katya Morozova - Donald SutherlandDonald SutherlandDonald McNichol Sutherland, OC is a Canadian actor with a film career spanning nearly 50 years. Some of Sutherland's more notable movie roles included offbeat warriors in such war movies as The Dirty Dozen, , MASH , and Kelly's Heroes , as well as in such popular films as Klute, Invasion of the...
– Agent Bill Meehan - Robert CarlyleRobert CarlyleRobert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
– Sergey Karpovich - Rémy GirardRémy GirardRémy Girard is a Canadian actor and former television host from Quebec.-Acting career:He played the role of Rémy, the main character, who is dying of terminal cancer, in the Canadian film Les Invasions barbares by director Denys Arcand. This film was awarded the 2003 Academy Award for best...
– Viktor Taganov - Isabelle Blais – Helena Votrubova
- Laurence LeboeufLaurence LeboeufLaurence Leboeuf is a French Canadian actress. She is the daughter of Diane Lavallée and Marcel Leboeuf...
– Nadya Taganova - Vlasta VranaVlasta VranaVlasta Vrána is a Canadian actor of Czech descent, known for playing Jack Richards in A Year in the Death of Jack Richards. His surname means "crow" in Czech and several other Slavic languages.-Career:...
– Tommy - Céline BonnierCéline BonnierCéline Bonnier is a French Canadian actress from Quebec. She has been nominated for four awards including Genie Awards and Gemini Awards.-Biography:Céline Bonnier was the youngest of eight children, six boys and two girls...
– Sophie - Mark Antony Krupa – Andrej
- Lynne AdamsLynne AdamsLynne Adams is an American actress.Adams played the role of Leslie Jackson Bauer Norris from 1966–71 and again from 1973-76 on The Guiding Light. She was the second generation in her family to act on the program; both her parents had roles in the radio incarnation in the 1940s...
– Ellen Baker - David Boutin – Frederick
- Emma CampbellEmma CampbellEmma Maree Campbell is a New Zealand cricketer who plays for the New Zealand in the women's one-day internationals. She made her international debut in 2010.http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/274422.html-References:...
– Samantha Gray - Sarah-Jeanne LabrosseSarah-Jeanne LabrosseSarah-Jeanne Labrosse is a Canadian actress.- Filmographie :* 1997 : Le Volcan tranquille * 2003 : Summer with the Ghosts : Caroline* 2004 : 15/Love : Sunny Capuduca...
– Annie Gray - Michael Sorvino – Misha Morozov
- Morgane Slemp - Susan
- Anna Hopkins – Katerina
Production
The miniseries was produced by Muse Entertainment EnterprisesMuse Entertainment Enterprises
Founded in 1998, Muse Entertainment is a Canadian producer of films and television programs. Muse Entertainment produces dramatic series, television films, mini-series for family programs....
for broadcast on Lifetime Television. In April 2005 Muse announced that principal photography had begun and that a Canadian broadcaster would be announced shortly. The miniseries was filmed in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, and Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and was completed in July 2005.
Reception
Human Trafficking received generally mixed to positive reviews by critics. Alessandra StanleyAlessandra Stanley
Alessandra Stanley is an American journalist. In 2003 she became the television critic for The New York Times. Stanley was previously co-chief of the paper's Moscow bureau, Rome bureau chief, and as a correspondent for Time. She is the daughter of defense expert Timothy W...
of the New York Times noted that Human Traficking "avoids the seedy sensationalism that cheapens so many television depictions of the crime" and that it is "a harsh public-service message built into a clever, suspenseful thriller."
Tom Shales
Tom Shales
Thomas William "Tom" Shales is an American critic of television programming and operations. He is best known as TV critic for The Washington Post; in 1988, Shales received the Pulitzer Prize...
of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
was more negative as he found the miniseries an odd subject for Lifetime to broadcast. He noted that in attempting to"expose a worldwide scandal" Human Trafficking "happens to expose vast amounts of flesh in the process -- exploitation about exploitation."
John Doyle
John Doyle (critic)
John Doyle is one of the two television critics with Canada's The Globe and Mail newspaper. Doyle also covers major football events for the paper....
of The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
' was also negative towards the miniseries. He compared it to the "searing, shocking and hard to watch" CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
/Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
miniseries Sex Traffic
Sex Traffic
Sex Traffic is a British-Canadian two-part television drama directed by David Yates, written by Abi Morgan and produced by Veronica Castillo and Derek Wax...
which "suggested a direct connection between the sex trade and NATO officials, and with Western corporations based in Eastern Europe. Doyle concluded that "While Human Trafficking is an international co-production with an international cast, it feels obstinately constructed to satisfy small-minded American viewers.
DVD
On April 4, 2006, Maple Pictures released a 2 disc DVD set of the mini-series in Canada which contained interviews with the director and the five principal cast members on the second disc. Echo Bridge Home Entertainment released the miniseries on a single DVD in the U.S. on May 2, 2006 with deleted scenes not shown during the airing on Lifetime, interactive resources, and scene selections. The Canadian DVD is rated 14A; the U.S. release is labeled Not Rated by the MPAA due to enhanced violence of the deleted scenes.Golden Globes
- Best Actress In A TV Movie or Mini-Series: Mira Sorvino(Nominated)
- Best Actor In A TV Movie or Mini-Series: Donald Sutherland (Nominated)
Emmy Awards
Human Trafficking has been nominated for three Emmy Awards, one in Creative Arts for Best Music and two for Primetime- Best Actor In A TV Mini-Series: Donald Sutherland
- Best Supporting Actor in a Mini-Series: Robert Carlyle.
Gemini Awards
Human Trafficking also won 3 Gemini Awards:- Best Dramatic Mini-Series (Michael Prupas, Christian Duguay, Irene Litinsky)
- Best Costume Design (Marianne Carter)
- Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Dramatic Program or Series (Guy Lalande)
It was nominated for 2 other Gemini Awards:
- Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series (Isabelle Blais)
- Best Sound in a Dramatic Program (Michel B. Bordeleau, Natalie Fleurant, Louis Gignac, Hans Peter Strobl)
External links
- UN.GIFT - Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking
- Amnesty USA's page on human trafficking