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Film Stars Zhang Hanyu, Yuan Quan & Su You Peng Fight Human Trafficking By Making Chinese Version Of MTV Animated FilmWednesday, June 17, 2009 BEIJING (June 10) – Film stars Zhang Hanyu, Yuan Quan and Su You Peng said their concern about young people being duped by human traffickers compelled them to record the Mandarin version of Intersection, an edgy, animated film about trafficking and sexual exploitation. Intersection is produced by the MTV Foundation with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The trio told a packed house at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, in Beijing's 798 Art District, that young people must become more aware about the dangers of human trafficking. Their film aired repeatedly on MTV China last week. It can be downloaded in English, Mandarin and Thai at www.mtvexit.org. “I hope this animated film stirs meaningful discussions among young people about how we can fight this form of modern-day slavery,” said Zhang, named best actor for The Assembly at Taiwan's 2008 Golden Horse Awards. Zhang plays Dulok, a trafficker, in Intersection. Yuan is cast as a young trafficking victim forced to work in a brothel. Su (Alec Su) portrays a young man who pays for sex. The screening was attended by celebrities, artists, representatives from non-governmental organizations, and the international press, including Reuters. It is part of the Asia-wide MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) campaign, which is funded by USAID. “We're using a different medium, animation, to alert young people about the risks of human trafficking,” said Olivier Carduner, USAID's Mission Director for Asia. “It adds to the body of work – documentaries, music videos, film shorts, concert specials and public service announcements – that MTV and USAID have aired to reach potential victims and to promote law enforcement and victim outreach efforts.” Intersection is told from the perspectives of five people who are part of the trafficking chain; the victim, trafficker, brothel manager, customer, and an undercover cop, and customer. The film is made by the award-winning Korean studio JM Animation and features music by Radiohead and Thievery Corporation. Actors from throughout Asia are recording different versions Intersection in their native languages. Ananda Everingham and MTV VJ Taya Rogers recorded the English-language film. Everingham also made the Thai version with actress Ploy Cherman. The U.S. Government estimates that 800,000 people are trafficked internationally each year and that millions more are enslaved in their own countries. More than half are from the Asia Pacific. “I hope a lot of young people, especially women, watch this program and understand that anyone can be a victim of sex trafficking,” said Yuan, whose films include Like a Dream and Shanghai Rumba. Unique projects like Intersection are an innovative way to raise young people's awareness and prevent human trafficking and exploitation, said MTV EXIT Campaign Director Simon Goff. “The broadcast of Intersection on MTV channels and other broadcasters across Asia will help young people avoid the dangers of human trafficking,” Goff said. MTV EXIT has reached more than 20 million people since its films Traffic and Sold were launched in Asia in 2007 with USAID's support. The campaign is on air, online (www.mtvexit.org) and on the ground. Last year, MTV and USAID held free awareness-raising concerts in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. This year, the concert program has been expanded to the Philippines and will later go to Indonesia and Nepal. MTV EXIT has partnered with more than 100 local and international non-governmental organizations across the Asia Pacific to raise awareness about human trafficking. Intersection is MTV EXIT's first animated film. Like all MTV EXIT programming, it is produced rights-free and can be downloaded free of charge by broadcasters and organizations at www.mtvexit.org FURTHER READING | |||
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