IN HUMAN KIND Film Review – Prostitution Might Not Be Their Choice

Posted on by Camille Aguilar

In Human Kind opens with scantily clad women and old footage of a news broadcast describing lewd, lascivious women. The narrator— Shanika Ampa, a victim turned advocate—details the sexual nature of the average man as pornographic image after image shuffles across the screen.

After the showcase of naked women throughout history, we are taken to the streets of Miami to meet pedestrians from around the world. We are in an opulent façade of tourism, parties and money in Miami—with a dark harsh reality in the background. Behind the camera, a voice asks various groups about sex trafficking. In their responses, many interviewees appear uncomfortable as they scratch their arms and profess their ignorance. Disturbingly, however, many of the interviewees’ cheerful demeanors do not waver as they address this serious topic.  You too may feel that their smiles strengthen the narrator’s claim that the location holds a dark reality, one that people do not fully grasp or are not comfortable speaking about.

IN HUMAN KIND shows Trafficking and Trap Houses

At several points, the District Attorney of Miami-Dade Katherine Fernandez Rundle appears in a library, speaking about the misconceptions of trafficking as something ‘imported.’ As the camera pans ports and cargo ships, Rundle informs us that much of Miami’s trafficking begins on American turf. Following the sweeping footage of ports and cargo boxes, we watch children play together on a playground. An onslaught of clips of cheerful boys and girls at their classroom desks appeals to our emotion as the DA traces trafficking’s origins to sexually abused, local boys and girls.

Archival footage exhibits police walking around a raided home with a tiny bedroom. The living room is set up like a waiting room, empty chairs against the walls. Taped to one wall are hundreds of photos and posters of naked women. The police have their backs turned to the selection of seductive ladies as they examine the disgusting state of the bathroom. Toilet paper and garbage litter the floor. A bra lies over the back of a stained leather chair, holding an ashtray.

The footage also shows a room with mattresses on the floor, pushed together in a room no larger than 100 square feet. On one side of the room, a metal rod runs above the heads of three twin mattresses. The nearly empty rack has a clear plastic jacket and dirty looking pieces of cloth, presumably the clothing worn by the inhabitants. A tiny section of flooring is preserved beside the largest mattress in the room; the mug on a tiny nightstand the only suggestion of life space in the unfamiliar home. These are the conditions the trafficked live in.

Seeking the dark underbelly of the American Dream? You too may find this documentary and Shanika’s story of perseverance and optimism equal parts terrifying and inspiring. In Human Kind will interest anyone seeking to explore the links between sex work, human trafficking and child abuse.

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Creative Team:

Directed by Juan Sebastian “Juancho” Rodríguez

Produced by Gabriela Caminero and Juancho Rodríguez

Director of Photography: Ivan Meza

Music by Stephanie Gonzalez

Edited by Martin Dacanay

Run Time: 15 minutes

For more information, visit  In Human Kind’s website.

Images Courtesy of In Human Kind

Camille Aguilar
Camille Aguilar

About the Author: Camille Aguilar

Camille is a senior at the University of Chicago where she studies Literature and Philosophy. There, she is a reporter for the Maroon, as well as a photographer for the student run culinary magazine: Bite. Her activism extends largely towards youth education, and she is currently an organizing executive of MUNUC the Model United Nations conference put on by UChicago students for over 1,500 international high school students annually. After college, Camille plans to continue writing creatively and professionally as she pursues a career in international human rights reform.

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