When Red Deer playwright Andrew Kooman’s play “She Has A Name” was premiered in his hometown, six years back, executive producer, Lance Kadatz remembers being moved by how it passionately connected a 15-year-old girl “18” to the global issue of human trafficking.
“Dean Kohut, a very successful local businessman and myself believed strongly then that if this was made into a movie, it could make a difference in raising the awareness of the global human trafficking,” said Kadatz. “To ensure that the movie became a reality we took on the roles of executive producers, and in the end, an amazing film was made that premiered around the world on Dec. 2, 2016 to outstanding reviews.”
The process of making the movie started in 2013 and the filming concluded in Dec of 2015. Shot in Thailand, “She Has A Name” is a dramatic thriller.
Based on a real event, the film focuses on an investigation into a shocking human trafficking incident in Southeast Asia and explores the layers of corruption, internationally, that enable the global commercial sex trade to thrive, at the expense of young girls and women’s futures.
“We have just scratched the surface of what the movie can achieve,” Kadatz commented. “We have an amazing movie that the whole world is yet to see. The movie is close captioned into four languages so far and we are working on new distribution networks into the world’s largest countries.”
Kadatz said that they are just getting started with their job now – “to get the film watched in as many countries as possible.”
“As part of our distribution strategy, we often partner with charitable agencies around the world that are making a difference in this battle,” Kadatz added. “That is the case with the Stettler screening, which is in support of work being done in South Asia. We call this “funding freedom” by just going to the movies.”
Kadatz said that he and his team realizes that the human trafficking topic is hard for some people as they know it may disturb them.
“They think that they may see something that will leave a lasting visual impression. That is not the case with “She Has a Name,” which is a finely-crafted film that is part of the solution not the problem; it will emotionally engage the viewer and evoke a desire to do something to stop this problem.”
All proceeds from the movie are donated to agencies working on the frontline of human trafficking.
For more information, readers can check out the movie trailer at www.shehasanamefilm.com.