Children for Sale (2009)

This documentary explores the devastating issue of child trafficking in Cambodia, where tens of thousands of young girls are trafficked annually for slavery, sexual abuse, and prostitution. Through intimate interviews with girls currently or formerly in these situations, as well as with NGO workers, the film investigates the root causes of this crime: why parents sell their children and how trafficking operations function. It also examines efforts to combat the problem. Cambodia, still recovering from the 1970s genocide that killed a quarter of its population, faces widespread social and economic challenges including a damaged infrastructure, rampant corruption, and high illiteracy rates. Poverty forces many children into labor instead of education, and half the population lives on less than a dollar a day. The film focuses on a vulnerable family in a remote rural area, illustrating the harsh reality faced by those most at risk.