Fridae

Let's face it � most movies are meaningless. But the sad and beautiful Trade restores our faith in the fact that movies can perform very important social functions � in this case, highlighting the global problem of human trafficking and child prostitution. Several reporters were seen crying during the media screening of Trade. We were among the weepers.

Trade is the first Hollywood picture by gay German director Marco Kreuzpaintner, the writer-director of 2004's massive gay hit Summerstorm. Once again displaying his talent and sensitivity in tackling touchy topics, Trade not only punches you in the stomach with its sobering truths about child prostitution and trafficking, but it also breaks your heart again and again.

Lovely young actress Paulina Gaitan plays a 13-year-old Mexican girl who is kidnapped by sex traffickers from her home in Juarez and shipped to North America to be sold to pedophiles. Her 17-year-old brother (Cesar Ramos) sneaks into North America in a desperate bid to find and rescue her. There, he finds a friend in an American man (Kevin Kline) who happens to be on a similar quest...

Throwing light on the sex-slave trail from Mexico to the United States, Trade is an eye-opening account of something that occurs everyday but few talk about. The fact is, millions of girls from poorer countries in Asia, Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe are being kidnapped and tricked into prostitution every month. And through films like Trade, Lilya-4-Ever, Eastern Promises, and Her Name is Justine, cinema has only recently begun to shed light on this global tragedy.

Trade gets Fridae's vote as the must-see movie of the week.