Written, directed and produced by University of Denver graduate Grant Knisely, “Untouchable: Children of God” ventures into the appalling world of human trafficking in India. This brave documentary — which had a private screening for DU alumni, students and professors this past Wednesday, and will be shown next this Saturday at the Breck Film Festival — illuminates the humanity and value of “Untouchable” communities, educates its audience about human trafficking and sexual slavery in the brothels of India and inspires people to fight for the abolition of this extreme injustice.
Untouchables are people who belong to the lowest social status group in the Hindu caste system; they are often humanely referred to as “children of God”. These untouchables are the most vulnerable to human trafficking in India: low-caste, impoverished parents often sell their daughters to put food on the table for their remaining children. It’s not uncommon for traffickers to seal the fate of Nepali girls before they’re even born, giving a “down payment” to parents expecting baby girls. The average age of the Nepali girls who are cruelly forced across the border into sexual slavery is just 13 years old. Once taken to the brothels, girls must commit to a life of selling their bodies, and will likely face eventual death, with a staggering 99% of girls trafficked dying in brothels from suicide, murder and HIV AIDS.
The bright spot of this documentary comes from the stories of two courageous heroes who make up part of the one percent of girls who are rescued or escape from this life of sexual exploitation. Knisely highlights the undying optimism and joy of these girls: undeterred by their terrifying experiences working in brothels, living in a constant state of torture: being beaten, starved, drugged and raped day in and day out by their captors and customers, neither girl is shadowed by her past.
Instead, they focus on the education they’ve been afforded in their safe house and the hope that they will one day be reunited with their “sisters” who worked alongside them in the brothels. Thanks to a growing number of abolitionists and social advocates such as the Ministry and Touching Asia, the end to trafficking in India is closer than ever, and the possibility of these girls being reunited is a more feasible reality.
Knisely has made immense progress toward improving the condition of human trafficking in bringing the issue to light with this deeply moving documentary; his humanitarian work and previous documentaries are also deeply impactful.
After graduating from DU with a Bachelor of Arts in mass communications and a minor in digital media studies and film/video production, Knisely participated in number of Humanitarian missions and produced three documentaries prior to “Untouchable”: “Project Nepal: A Time to Learn” (2001), “Hope for Haiti” (2004) and “The Chain Reaction Project” (2011). Although the film focuses on slavery in India, human trafficking does not just occur in third-world countries, it happens all over the world — including right here in Denver, Colorado. “Untouchable: Children of God” is a call to action, a catalyst to eradicate ignorance and set in motion the demise of this cruel institution.
