`Caged No More:` Writer talks about new film fighting human trafficking

SEATTLE -- It’s a movie with a big message. “The goal is to get a conversation started in the homes across America,” says Molly Venzke, author and screenwriter for the film “Caged No More." Venzke continues, “The more that I found out that this was an issue and that it was happening on American soil, I had to be a part, I had to do something.” She decided to author a book and send all the proceeds to “Trafficking Hope” an organization based in Louisiana. It’s in the southern state where her fictitious story also takes place. “She’s a Cajun grandmother and she finds out that her granddaughters are missing and she realizes with a series of clues that were left that their father has actually kidnapped them, taken them to Greece and is planning to sell them into the sex industry,”

That story made it all the way to Hollywood. “This producer lived down in Louisiana. The book came across her desk and she called us up and said, 'I would really be interested in making this into a movie, what do you think?' And of course our answer was 'Yes,'” The movie was filmed in under a month and has some big names on the ticket. Venzke says, “I can’t believe the actors we got that were available.  Loretta Devine, she came on set for several days and left and then came on set for a few more days and then the very next day had a huge gig and that was the story with several of the actors. They had things that fell through, it was just like kismet ” Molly hopes that it will be enough to draw families in to see the film together and start a serious conversation. “Many people when they hear the idea of human trafficking, they don’t want to read the book, they don’t want to see the movie because they’re afraid they’re going to see something that they can’t un- see. This isn’t that kind of a movie.  It’s a safe movie and it’s a story of hope” Venzke says. “What I love about this movie is it doesn’t just end with credits. At the end of the movie, there are tangible ways to be able to get involved, how to talk about it with your kids.” The film opens Friday at the AMC theatres at Southcenter and Alderwood malls. You can pre-order your tickets with a portion of the proceeds going to fight human trafficking. You can also order Molly`s book on Amazon and all of those proceeds go to www.traffickinghope.org.