Sacred Beginnings Film

Opportunity

We were asked to shed light on the human trafficking epidemic and tell the story of Leslie King, a survivor of human trafficking, who was trapped for over 20 years, and who now goes back into the darkness to set others free.

Approach

Disrupting a multi-billion dollar industry is not an easy thing to do. Human trafficking doesn’t discriminate against gender, race or location. It’s everywhere, so we knew that raising awareness would be key. We began in a tiny disheveled office in the back corner of an old church. We sat and listened to Leslie tell her story, one that we would never forget. It was a story about rage and redemption; betrayal and becoming. We started where all good stories do, at the beginning. We heard her wrenching journey of abuse and being enslaved in the sex trafficking ring at the age of 15. Overcoming impossible odds, she narrowly escaped 20 years later and turned her energy into founding an aggressive boots-to-the-ground nonprofit that broke down hotel doors, pulled pimps out of cars and loved prostituted women with an unwavering support.

Leslie was an unstoppable force, but she needed help.

She needed people to know what happens on the streets when the lights go out in their own neighborhoods and behind closed doors. She needed people to hear her story and engage with her nonprofit.

We got moving. We captured an incredible interview with Leslie who held nothing back. That interview became the foundation for the film. We put together an audio cut and created a concept that used Leslie’s real words and real streets with devoted actors and actresses to tell an authentic and compelling story. We then storyboarded that concept, developing a full detailed page for each shot of the entire film. The crew of 30 volunteers and professionals worked well into the night for three days to do Leslie’s story justice. The streets were dark, the air was freezing, our lives were literally threatened, but we weren’t going anywhere until we could bring this story to light.

Result

The result is a film that has won national awards, and that made an online footprint for Leslie’s cause. The awareness led to followers, speaking engagements, TV interviews and film screenings all around the country, inspiring thousands of people to end sex trafficking in their communities.