‘Traffick:’ A student thesis film – The Cauldron
Cleveland State University is home to one of the largest film schools in Ohio, students from all over the state flock hoping to make it big. Film is a competitive industry that is difficult for young filmmakers to thrive in.
One of these students is La’Rayja Hill, a senior at CSU’s Film and Media Arts College, where she is on the Writing and Directing track. Hill is currently working on her thesis film, Traffick, which tackles the devastating topic of human trafficking.
“I am always thinking, what are my surroundings? What if someone I do not know tries to take me?” Hill said. “What is someone trying to take from me?”
Human trafficking is defined as “A crime that involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sex acts,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
It is a terrifying reality of our modern world. There are an estimated 46 million individuals stuck in trafficking rings across the globe.
Traffick centers around a young Black man named Jackson as he hears his girlfriend, Tessa, being kidnapped while talking with her over the phone. The story follows Jackson as he desperately tries to be a hero and save her.
“I made my main characters, Tessa and Jackson, Black because they are disproportionately taken,” Hill said.
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 66% of trafficked individuals are people of color, a majority of which are young African American women.
In Traffick, the story does not focus on Tessa as the victim; instead focusing on Jackson’s point of view as the boyfriend who is desperate to save her. Traffick is not the stereotypical hero’s journey, it delves deep into the grotesque reality that stories like Tessa’s often do not have happy endings.
“I’m not going to lie, Jackson is my love letter to men,” Hill said. “I live in this delusion that guys will save women when needed, I don’t want that to be a delusion.”
Socially men are seen as protectors, the guiding theme of Traffick is revenge Jackson avenging his Girlfriend after failing to protect her in the beginning. But within this journey of revenge the overarching message to the audience is to be vigilant of their surroundings. If you see something, say something because others may not be able to.
“If you have kindness in your heart, watch, save a person,” Hill said.
Apart from writing about her deep-seated fear, another challenge Hill faces is the production of her film. There are three phases of movie making, pre-production and the planning phase of filming. Currently, Traffick is in between pre-production and production.
“What makes me nervous is getting on set and not treating people the way they should be treated,” Hill said. “That is my OCD and Anxiety talking, but my brain is always shouting ‘Take care of the people!’”
The quality of a production reflects how the director treats their cast and crew, one of Hill’s priorities is making sure that no one leaves her set feeling mistreated or upset. This mindset is the soul of Hill’s production.
Filming for Traffick will begin on March 21 and run through the 26. Those interested in the film can support Traffick’s Go Fund Me.