“A Path Appears” Tackles Human Rights Violations in the U.S. and Abroad

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the PBS TCA Winter Tour as part of their PBS Kids Blogger Program.  It was such an interesting two day event that showcased some of the new and upcoming programs such as “Last Days in Vietnam,” “American Ballet Theatre at 75” and “Being Mortal” that will air on PBS in 2015.

One of the programs that really stuck with me is a three part episode series called “A Path Appears” by Independent Lens and premieres January 26th.  Nicoholas Kristof, Malin Ackerman, Mia Farrow, Jennifer Garner, Ashley Judd, Blake Lively, Eva Longoria and Alfre Woodard uncover gender oppression and human rights violations in the U.S. and around the world.  In this three part series, they meet with activitists fighting sex trafficking in the U.S. and activits fighting for women’s rights in West Virginia, Colombia, Haiti and Kenya.

 Image courtesy of Got Celeb.

Most of the actors and producers of this program were part of a panel on the last day of the press tour.  Including Ashley Judd who most of us know from her many films.  I loved her in the movie Heat with Val Kilmor and remember one scene where she gave her husband (Val) a simple hand signal to move on because the FBI were in her apartment.  It was such subtle movement and so powerfully played!  I’ve enjoyed watching her on the big screen but I didn’t know that she is a survivor of rape, abuse and incest. During the panel discussion she talked about how she has no shame and that for many survivors of incest and rape, there tends to be shame associated with it on the victims part and she wants to help others realize that the shame is not theirs – it is the aggressor who holds the shame.

She is very active in human rights and helping to bring awareness to human rights violations here and abroad.  One of the producers from the series talked about how Blake Lively got involved through a good friend of hers, who was also helping to bring more awareness to these horrible crimes.  In one scene you can see and feel Blake Lively’s shock when she is told that over 100,000 girls in the U.S. are sold for sex in the United States.  It is quite shocking and upsetting to hear the number of children and teenagers who go missing in the United States and abroad – many victims of human sex trafficking.

For many, the idea that human sex trafficking happens in our own backyards seems surprising, but “A Path Appears” is not only about spotlighting this very real problem we have here and abroad, but also provides hope and solutions for the victims of these violations.

The first episode of “A Path Appears” premieres January 26th.  Check your local listings.  To read more about the work they are doing and how you can help go to the Independent Lens site.

To see a video clip of “A Path Appears” go here.

About Independent Lens:

Airing weekly on the PBS primetime schedule, Independent Lens is television’s largest showcase of independent documentary film. Each week they bring you another original documentary film, made by one of the best independent filmmakers working today. In its first 12 seasons, Independent Lens received 11 Emmy Awards (nine News & Documentary Emmys, two Primetime Emmys), 14 Peabody Awards, 5 duPont Awards, and has been nominated for 7 Academy Awards. In addition, Independent Lens was the winner of the 2013 International Documentary Association Best Continuing Series Award and the 2014 International Documentary Association Best Curated Series Award. (Source: Independent Lens website).