By DONAVON CAMPBELL
Guy Jacobson needed to clear his head.
An investment banker, attorney, writer and owner of his own film company, Priority Films, Jacobson was backpacking in Cambodia in early 2002 in an effort to stir, or perhaps settle, the creative juices.
It was while he was walking along a Cambodian street that he was accosted by a group of young girls.
What happened to him then was much more than a case of culture shock. The girls -- ranging in age from 5 to 7 years old -- were prostitutes.
An investment banker, attorney, writer and owner of his own film company, Priority Films, Jacobson was backpacking in Cambodia in early 2002 in an effort to stir, or perhaps settle, the creative juices.
It was while he was walking along a Cambodian street that he was accosted by a group of young girls.
What happened to him then was much more than a case of culture shock. The girls -- ranging in age from 5 to 7 years old -- were prostitutes.
The event shook Jacobson. He said he knew he had to do something.
The film, Holly, which Jacobson wrote and produced in response to his experience, opens Friday, June 6 at the Drexel Theater in Grandview.
Jacobson himself will be coming to the theater to take part in a question and answer session with the public for the evening showing on Saturday, June 7.
Holly is essentially a love story under extreme circumstances, Jacobson said.
"The movie itself is an impossible love story," said Jacobson. "Two characters from different places and times trying to save each other."
Holly, the title character played by Thuy Nguyen, is a 12-year-old Cambodian girl who has been sold into prostitution by her family.
Ron Livingston plays Patrick, an American card shark and dealer of stolen artifacts who has found a home in the amoral soup of the Cambodian street life.
The pair cross paths, changing Patrick's life. When Holly is sold to a child trafficker for the value of her virginity, Patrick is left with no other recourse than follow the trail in hope of finding her again.
The film was shot in the dangerous and sorted locations of the red light district of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The decision to film in the very brothels and areas in which these atrocities actually occur provided authenticity to the film, but, as Jacobson himself said, put the cast and crew in very real danger.
Just three days after arriving on location, they received a distressing call from Interpol, Jacobson said.
"They said, 'You guys are insane'," said Jacobson. "You are in the most dangerous place in the world for shooting this film. You're going to die. Get the hell out of there."
Jacobson said they had to hire some 40 bodyguards and equip them with automatic machine guns to protect the cast and crew during filming.
"We were at war to make this movie," said Jacobson. "It's probably the stupidest thing I've ever done."
Nevertheless the film was completed and flown out on a private plane for fear of its theft.
But why so much trouble to make a film?
It was the subject matter, said Jacobson.
"I wanted to find out what is really happening, what is really going on," he said.
"Because (child trafficking for prostitution) is not one specific age group or one specific country, people haven't been paying attention. I wanted to explore this in depth from the victim's point of view," Jacobson said.
Jacobson is coming to speak about the film both for the movie itself but also for a new campaign he founded called the Red Light Children Campaign.
With the help of corporate sponsor Lexis Nexis, Jacobson is doing his best to help fulfill his campaign's mission statement of exposing, fighting and ending the global sex trade.
"We have an opportunity during which we can engage the public and the press in conversation and bring the issue to light in the community," said Jacobson.
For more information on the campaign or Holly go to redlightchildren.org.
For more information, ticket prices and showtimes at Drexel Theater in Grandview go to drexel.net or call 614-486-6114.
"We were at war to make this movie."
--Guy Jacobson
The film, Holly, which Jacobson wrote and produced in response to his experience, opens Friday, June 6 at the Drexel Theater in Grandview.
Jacobson himself will be coming to the theater to take part in a question and answer session with the public for the evening showing on Saturday, June 7.
Holly is essentially a love story under extreme circumstances, Jacobson said.
"The movie itself is an impossible love story," said Jacobson. "Two characters from different places and times trying to save each other."
Holly, the title character played by Thuy Nguyen, is a 12-year-old Cambodian girl who has been sold into prostitution by her family.
Ron Livingston plays Patrick, an American card shark and dealer of stolen artifacts who has found a home in the amoral soup of the Cambodian street life.
The pair cross paths, changing Patrick's life. When Holly is sold to a child trafficker for the value of her virginity, Patrick is left with no other recourse than follow the trail in hope of finding her again.
The film was shot in the dangerous and sorted locations of the red light district of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The decision to film in the very brothels and areas in which these atrocities actually occur provided authenticity to the film, but, as Jacobson himself said, put the cast and crew in very real danger.
Just three days after arriving on location, they received a distressing call from Interpol, Jacobson said.
"They said, 'You guys are insane'," said Jacobson. "You are in the most dangerous place in the world for shooting this film. You're going to die. Get the hell out of there."
Jacobson said they had to hire some 40 bodyguards and equip them with automatic machine guns to protect the cast and crew during filming.
"We were at war to make this movie," said Jacobson. "It's probably the stupidest thing I've ever done."
Nevertheless the film was completed and flown out on a private plane for fear of its theft.
But why so much trouble to make a film?
It was the subject matter, said Jacobson.
"I wanted to find out what is really happening, what is really going on," he said.
"Because (child trafficking for prostitution) is not one specific age group or one specific country, people haven't been paying attention. I wanted to explore this in depth from the victim's point of view," Jacobson said.
Jacobson is coming to speak about the film both for the movie itself but also for a new campaign he founded called the Red Light Children Campaign.
With the help of corporate sponsor Lexis Nexis, Jacobson is doing his best to help fulfill his campaign's mission statement of exposing, fighting and ending the global sex trade.
"We have an opportunity during which we can engage the public and the press in conversation and bring the issue to light in the community," said Jacobson.
For more information on the campaign or Holly go to redlightchildren.org.
For more information, ticket prices and showtimes at Drexel Theater in Grandview go to drexel.net or call 614-486-6114.
"We were at war to make this movie."
--Guy Jacobson
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