Finding Home

Finding Home is a gripping documentary following the lives of three young Cambodian women who were victims of sex trafficking at a young age. Filmmaker, Derek Hammeke, brings to life the brutal and evil world of modern day slavery as seen through the eyes of young victims and the people who continue to walk beside them and fight for them. Although the film is set in Cambodia, it is packed with the realities of trafficking issues everywhere. While this film explores many reasons why trafficking has been an issue in Cambodian culture specifically, an honest picture of how the majority of girls and women find themselves trapped in sexual exploitation globally is communicated as well. Throughout the course of these three stories, different methods of manipulation, trickery and coercion play out, but the stories do not stop there. This is a unique trafficking documentary as the stories of these three girls go far beyond the actual trafficking experiences. Through three years of filming their post trafficking experiences, Hammeke allows these young women to reveal their stories with dignity and grace. The viewer will see the devastation and heartache of these tragic stories, but will also experience hope and joy as they journey with these young women on a path from victim to survivor. Viewers will connect with Sophorn, who wears pain and anger in her eyes through most of the film. Sophorn tells the story of a broken family and of the poverty, which catapulted her into the trappings of slavery when she fell for the lies of a good waitressing job at the age of thirteen. Watching Sophorn grow into a young woman who must overcome incredible obstacles will bring viewers into a new and shocking understanding of some of the long-term effects that some victims must deal with. Sophany falls for the same lies as Sophorn, but her story is entirely different. Horrific abuse at the hands of the evil people who owned her is the crux of the pain of her story. This is shocking in light of the fact that she was the youngest girl at the brothel and was often chosen by the men who frequented it. Sophany’s desire to work hard and to make a good life for herself and her family after her rescue is a survival story which will be emotional to watch. Drugs play a critical role in the trafficking story of Noch. It is a painful dynamic, which viewers will journey through with her. Noch has a way of drawing the viewer in with her soft voice, and her hopes and dreams of doing something meaningful with her life even in the face of great adversity. Stephanie Freed, Co-Founder of Rapha House, and a safe house program narrate Finding Home for underage victims of sexual exploitation. Working alongside other US staff as well as native counselors and social workers, she walks with these young women as they leave slavery in the rear view mirror and attempt to move forward. It is a journey of great joy and immense pain for these non-profit workers who care immensely about these girls. Viewers will find themselves enmeshed in the lives of Sophorn, Sophany, and Noch as Stephanie and the Rapha House staff journey beside them each step of the way, through good and bad times. Finding Home takes viewers into actual brothels and karaoke clubs of SE Asia to look at the dark underworld that is sex trafficking- a place where women are nothing more than a number pinned to their shirts. A new understanding will be gained about what life is like for the girls trapped in this lifestyle, and viewers will understand how trafficking truly happens. Finding Home shows in depth the struggle, growth and challenges that come with trying to pick a life back up after it has been fragmented. Each of these three young women has a unique story with unique hurdles to overcome.