Human trafficking is a universal problem that is, unfortunately, also carefully hidden. The United Nations defines human trafficking as “recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or coercion…for the purpose of exploitation.”¹ Anyone can be a victim of human trafficking, but women make up the majority of victims at 70 percent.² Human trafficking occurs in every corner of the globe, and is firmly entrenched in the United States.  It is an international and transnational crime, since the victims are often transported between countries on airplanes.

THE VENDING MACHINE is a short film that uses a powerful metaphor to demonstrate the commodification of humans and the horrors of sex trafficking while maintaining a nongraphic, comprehensibility for all ages and formats.

In support of THE VENDING MACHINE, I have written and co-produced a theme song for the film called, “Love Song To A Slave.” This will enable our message to be delivered through multiple artistic mediums to increase its impact. As evidenced by the iconic song and video, We Are The World, music is a universal language that can create instant international solidarity to address humankind’s greatest challenges.

To listen to “Love Song To A Slave”:

https://johnviscount.bandcamp.com/track/love-song-to-a-slave