PRESS

Women Undercover | BBC World Service

Mimi Chakarova: Love, Art and Anger
 
| The Kitchen Sisters Present

The awesome fearlessness of female undercover reporters
 
| The New York Times Online

Going Undercover 
| Al Jazeera English

Undercover to Expose Sex Traffickers 
| BBC World's Outlook

"The Price of Sex" on Turkish TV
 
| CNN Turk

Correspondent Confidential
 
| VICE United States

UN.GIFT catches up with filmmaker Mimi Chakarova
 
| United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

A Human Life: Priceless No More
 
| The Ukrainian Week

Review | Global Policy Journal

WOMAN OF THE WEEK: MIMI CHAKAROVA | The Women in the World Foundation

Mimi Chakarova on CNN | Connect The World

Undercover Filmmaker | CNN Freedom Project

Mimi Chakarova on BBC World 

"Slavery 2012" Podcast | The Commonwealth Club of California

Interview with Mimi Chakarova | United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking

Embassy of the United States of America | Ottawa

My Defining Moment: Mimi Chakarova | CBC

Video Interview with Mimi Chakarova | Reeling the Reel

Interview with Mimi Chakarova | Channel Guide Magazine

Skin Trade Exposed | ekathimerini.com

"The Price of Sex" Podcast | Human Rights Watch

"The Price of Sex" | Telegraph21

"The Price of Sex" Is a Work of Art Huffington Post 

The Price of Sex on CNN  

The Price of Sex (Web Exclusive) | Cineaste Magazine

Daniel Pearl Awards Winners Announced | iWatch News

Interview with Mimi Chakarova | Pop Culture Classics

Ten Years Underground: A Photojournalist’s Quest to Expose the Sex Trade | Her Circle e-zine

The Price of Sex: An Investigation of Sex Trafficking | USAID Impact Blog by Mimi Chakarova

The Price of Sex Variety 

Review of 'The Price of Sex' (Bulgarian) Kultura

FILM: So Much More Than Just 'Trafficked Women' IPSnews.net

Women in Hollywood indieWIRE

Human Trafficking, The Terrible "Price of Sex" NPR Talk of the Nation (Radio)

Review: Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2011 Film-Forward

Arts Express: Eco-Terrorists, Sex Slaves, And What's Up At The HRW Festival News Blaze (Radio)

Preview of the festival highlighting THE PRICE OF SEX (Russian) Reporter RU

Preview of the festival highlighting THE PRICE OF SEX (Russian) NewsWe.com

The Human Rights Watch Film Festival Digs Deep, Asks the Hard Questions HuffPost

Almost Me Snap Judgment (Radio)

Exposing the Sex Traffickers The Crime Report

Journalist-Activist Chakarova Exposes ‘Price of Sex’ SF360

Women Make Movies Nabs Two Human Rights Films indieWIRE

An Interview with Mimi Chakarova Captive Daughters


 

The U.N. General Assembly signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, yet we continue to witness the sale of human beings and the degradation of women's bodies and minds. THE PRICE of SEX gives you a sense of what trafficking does to women.

Your reactions to the film have been an important step to encourage dialogue and provide a forum for ideas and solutions. We've posted some of them below:

 

Courageous work, and spreading the word
I've admired the work of Mimi Chakarova for many years, and I'm so inspired by her valiant efforts and this movie/project. Because of her work, I've had many discussions about the flesh trade with Americans, and nearly every time they are surprised that this modern slavery even exists. If they have any concept at all of sex trafficking, it's as a distant international problem. The more uninformed they are, the more likely they are to make a cynical joke, too. So I take a moment to try and patiently explain: There is forced prostitution in America. There are people who suffer for the enjoyment of others. There are places like this "Price of Sex" web site, so there's no excuse to say "We didn't know." I figure a 10 minute thoughtful conversation with someone is the least I could do, considering how many years and how much effort Chakarova put into making sense of the sex trade in "Price of Sex." She put care into humanizing the supply side (these enslaved women), showing the demand side (among the johns are policemen!) and showing just how thin the cartilage of protection is preventing this dark transaction. We cannot say "We didn't know," not after Chakarova's lyrical and engaging and courageous work.
Re: Courageous work, and spreading the word
Thank you for posting your thoughtful comment. What you wrote couldn't be more true – I've spoken with people from all walks of life and nationalities through the years and most don't know what sex trafficking entails. And then there are others who have misconceptions and perpetuate the stigma: "This only happens to Roma women in Bulgaria, Romania or Moldova..." or "These women (whether African, Asian, East European, etc) know what they're signing up for. Serves them right" or "Prostitution is the oldest profession. Why even bother doing work on this subject? Boys will be boys" or "Every woman has a price. What's yours?" and so on. And here is why I am grateful for what you wrote, Keli Dailey. If we all admit that we are a part of this global equation and that Yes, this does indeed happen to girls who aren't even old enough to be women, and that Yes, no human being should be enslaved and brutalized, then we have to actively engage others and do our part to educate and provide outlets for those who have been silenced by shame and fear. This is what we do as journalists, but most importantly, as fellow women and human beings. I commend you and the other people who posted reactions below for spreading the word and sharing the reality of THE PRICE OF SEX.
Unforgettable
Thanks for showing us this documentary Mimi, it reminded us what journalism should be. This commitment for several years really makes a difference. I was left with sadness and inspiration to tell stories which should not be forgotten.
Spectacular
I have never seen a film about sex trafficking that I felt delved so deep into the human tragedy aspect of it. Mimi spent 8 years working on it and that really shows through her relationship with the victims, who clearly trust her. Her photo-journalistic background is also evident, with a lot of thought having gone into each shot. All-round a spectacular achievement. It's so important that as many people as possible see it.
Amazing film! Saw it in class and was left saddened and inspired. While some have said that the topic of sex trafficking is overdone, Mimi’s documentary, and the women in it, remind us that it’s still a very prevalent problem and we need to take action
Mimi showed us her documentary in a journalism class. We, 120+ were inspired, impressed by Mimi her braveness and incredible dedication to this topic. But I guess the overall feeling was sadness about this horrendous business young women are forced to work in. Most of us can't imagine but the film brings you close to how horrible it must be. The only thing I would say is: go watch it and tell friends, lawyers, officials...people around you...Facebook it! and with all the creativity in this world try to act upon it.
thank you for your inspiration.
Dear Mimi, when I saw the film at the screening in Berkeley, I was completely overwhelmed. Not only by the heartbreaking stories of these women and their families, but your intense drive to keep following this trail around the world. Not many reporters can place themselves in the first person in a documentary, but you do it so eloquently and honestly. I hope your countrymen/women are inspired by the stories you tell--and that it spurns them to act. You are an amazing reporter and have such an incredibly talented team working with you; the film is like art-meets-life-meets-horror movie. It is breathtakingly beautiful and unabashedly raw. With every film screening, I hope that night's sleep is more restful than the last. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your work. Truly you are an inspiring individual.
Thank you.
I just want to thank you for organizing the special screening for students at Berkeley—as you begin your journey taking the film around the world. Congrats for the Nestor Almendros Award and Silverdocs (among other great festivals!). I am inspired not only by the dedication and work you have poured into this project for seven years, but also your incredible team and the discussion this film is generating. It validates the reasons I got into this field and why I am pursuing the difficult but crucial and beautiful craft of documentary filmmaking. I wish you all the best on your continued journey with this work. Awed and Inspired, Lauren
Mimi, I remain very moved by your film and the deep work it obviously took to create it. You demand that we look, that we share in knowing. In some way it feels like you have scraped to the bone some of the worst violations of human rights, and at the same time presented a piece that looks at who you are. You and your team have brought lyricism and beauty to a story of horror, insisting that we relate to those ravaged faces. Your personal strength and the profound personal price you surely have paid to reveal this world is very moving and unforgettable. Thank you for this.
Mimi, Your movie knocked the air out of my lungs. For its beauty for its harsh message. For its humanity. Your movie was unsettling - came unsettling close to making men squirm in their seats, And then you revealed another layer - that of the mothers involved. Those who sell their daughters then cloud their own pain with booze. That hit me in the gut. Victims and perpetrators - they are connected in this strange dance. Thanks for sticking with this tough story and seeing it through to its completion!
I attended the showing of your film, The Price of Sex. I am glad that you decided to make this documentary that addresses this horrible worldwide phenomena, subjugating and abusing millions of women. I also attended a recent talk on a book called Red Lights: The Lives of Sex Workers in Postsocialist China...Women are forced in to the sex trade due to the poverty in the countryside. I liked your point (though a sad one) that with the fall of communism, the safety nets were removed and opened the door to sex trafficking. I was in your country in 1970, mostly in Sofia....I remember it being so clean, and it didn't look as impoverished as it does today as reflected in your film. On my way to Bulgaria from Turkey, my boyfriend and traveling companion was asked twice by Turks if he would swap me for a Turkish or Bulgarian woman. What total disregard for my life and I could have ended up in a brothel! I know that this was a very difficult and dangerous endeavor for you. Thank for your dedication and bringing this topic to the fore.
Mimi - I want to salute you for the incredible film you created. I'm truly inspired by your ability to pull together the people and resources you needed to independently produce the film. It's a very powerful film and I am haunted by the stories and images. You did right by these women - they had dignity but at the same time you did not gloss over any element of the reality you discovered. And they still had such beauty, and integrity, even if perhaps, tragically, they are unable to recognize it in themselves. Thanks to you and to all who contributed to this effort.