True Life Fund gives back to ‘Very Young Girls’
Published Feb. 29, 2008
When Carolina Cruz first walked into the GEMS office in New York City, the 16-year-old wasn’t sure whether to give staff members her birth name or the name she had used on the streets as a prostitute.
Four years later, Cruz is in Columbia to discuss her experiences in the sex industry and for viewings of the film “Very Young Girls,” which confronts the issue of human trafficking in New York City. The film is this year’s selection for the True Life Fund, a program created in 2007 to offer assistance to the subjects of nonfiction films. Money raised at this weekend’s viewings of the documentary will benefit the Girls Educational & Mentoring Services, which is highlighted in “Very Young Girls” and provides programs for girls in New York who are either at-risk or involved in sexual exploitation and violence, according to GEMS’ Web site.
On Friday afternoon, True/False organizers — as well as the film’s director David Schisgall, GEMS director Rachel Lloyd and GEMS participant Cruz — made an appearance at Memorial Union to preview scenes from the film and discuss its content.
Jesse Wrench Auditorium was filled to capacity as True/False co-director David Wilson took to the stage to introduce the documentary. He said he was excited to present a documentary about individuals’ personal stories in hopes to make an impact through the True Life Fund.
“If this film were just about human trafficking, it wouldn’t be the True Life Fund selection,” Wilson said in an interview before the presentation. “As important as that documentary may be, True Life is about finding individuals and finding ways to give back to the subjects of the film. The subjects of this film have given a lot. Documentaries don’t make a lot of money and filmmakers don’t make a lot of money, so the True Life Fund is a way to help filmmakers give back to their subjects.”
Following a 20-minute screening of clips from the film, including scenes of girls talking about their experiences, a girl in the hospital following a beating by her pimp and a scene of two male pimps who filmed themselves talking about how they exploit girls, Schisgall, Lloyd and Cruz took questions from the audience. During the discussion, Lloyd said the documentary provide an important look at sex exploitation in the United States.
“We need to recognize that you don’t need to be chained to a bed to be trapped by the situation,” she said. “The justice system is punishing these girls for being involved in prostitution, when they legally can’t even consent to sex if under 17 in the state of New York.”
Schisgall echoed that statement during his speech, saying that though the girls are manipulated and exploited into working, society blames them for their actions.
In an interview following the presentation, Schisgall said he’s honored that “Very Young Girls” was selected as the True Life Fund documentary this year. He also said he’s excited its U.S. premiere is at the True/False Festival. The only other showing of “Very Young Girls” was at the Toronto Film Festival, where Wilson saw it and decided it should be shown at True/False.
“David came to me about showing it at True/False after seeing its premiere,” Schisgall said. “I would have submitted it anyway, though, because True/False has become the premiere documentary-only film festival in the U.S.”
“Very Young Girls” can be seen at 1 p.m. Saturday at The Blue Note and at 3:45 p.m. at the Macklanburg Cinema.
Cruz said she is happy there is so much interest in the film and that the film is shedding light on sex exploitation in the United States.
“Some people don’t look at us as victims,” she said during the presentation. “We’re children and it wasn’t our fault.”