THE RABBIT HOLE, is a dramatic short film centering around two sisters, Mia (13) and Bella (8). At the beginning of the film, we witness the sisters playing a game where they try to guess the next country they want to escape to, Hawaii. We see their strong sisterly bond and see how much Bella looks up to Mia. We sense some underlying tension between them and their Aunt, whom we just know as Aunty. Mia dreams of supporting herself and Bella, but through traumatic imagery, we see the world of sexual exploitation and abuse that Mia is wrapped up in. Although never stated, it’s heavily implied. The film concludes with a disturbing realization that this dark world has seeped into Bella’s life, threatening to shatter her innocent dreams and childhood.

SITUATION

Having done strictly documentary work, the client wanted to branch into narrative storytelling to increase reach with their production company partner. The production company needed to source a director with the proper experience and skills to accomplish this.

BRIEF

The production company approached the directors directly to create a short film highlighting the world of child sex trafficking. The directors were tasked with extensive research into the world of sexual exploitation and abuse. They were then tasked with writing an emotionally compelling short script that accurately portrayed and reflected this world.

OBJECTIVES

Create an accurate depiction of the cycle of child sexual exploitation and abuse in Latin America while simultaneously building empathy with the characters and a strong emotional connection with the viewers. Establish how grooming, exploitation, and abuse function in a web of poverty and trauma, fueled by capitalism.

The original script the directors received was 15 pages, covered various locations, and was about the journey of one girl being sexually abused and exploited. They rewrote the script, abandoning the story of one girl, and created a more emotional story between two sisters. They then condensed everything to one location in order to logistically pull off filming.

In order to really feel the immediacy of the issue, they wanted to put the audience in the shoes of the perpetrator, so they made the camera the observer throughout the story. Psychologically, they wanted to convey the emotional trauma through strictly visual imagery. They combined traditional narrative storytelling with abstract imagery and sounds in order to force the audience to piece together the story themselves. They spent considerable time shaping the performances and blocking in order to achieve the most organic performances possible.

Sex tourism is a global phenomenon, and Latin America is a trending destination for tourists looking to exploit young girls. In a region riddled with teenage, single-parent households, Latin America is a perfect breeding ground for traffickers. The younger a girl is, the more a client will pay. Traffickers target and begin grooming early. As is true all over the world, poverty is a powerful force fueling human trafficking. Traffickers target girls who have needs they can’t meet on their own. They promise them help, and in bait and switch, hand them a life of slavery. When a single teen mom has no way to pay for food, diapers, or a home for her child, traffickers step in. This short film was made with these components in mind and this cultural context influences the audience whether they are aware of the full implications of it or not.