I Am Slave

I can't say I enjoyed this film, but I'm glad that I watched it. It is thought provoking and deeply saddening. Horrible that slavery continues today. :(

This moving drama is unfortunately based on a true story. It is about modern slavery. It is about the love of a father to his daughter. It is a story about human (human?) brutality, survival, hope and salvation. Malia is a princess in a tribe. She is the only daughter and thus the apple of her parents’ eye. When she was twelve-year-old, Malia was abducted by Arab militia and sold into slavery in Khartoum, Sudan. From morning till dawn she had to clean the house and obey any order her merciless master uttered. Her father embarked on a tireless search after her. After six years, Malia saw him on the street. She ran for him but was stopped before she could reach his arms. As punishment and to prevent any further attempts to seek freedom, she was flown to London. Her passport was taken from her and she worked as a slave and obeyed all her new master had wanted. She was told her father will be killed if she tells the authorities. She believes her vicious master, until someone opened her eyes, conveying to her the brute truth that she is nobody, she is a slave, she worth nothing. Why should someone make an effort to kill nothing’s father? Malia escapes to freedom. Wunmi Mosaku plays the main character. Her performance is most tragic, and most touching. Isaach De Bankole as her father Bah capsulates what parenthood is all about. Yigal Naor plays the role of the person who opened her eyes to the brute truth of her situation, and Hiam Abbas is excellent as one of her cruel masters. The film touched my heart and brought me to tears a few times. I find it hard to bear that slavery is still part of this world. I find myself ashamed that humans can do such a thing, to exploit others as means to an end, with no compassion whatsoever, no feelings, no humanity. I identified with the father. I could not imagine such a thing happening to my daughter. I would have been destroyed. The film reports that at present some 5,000 slaves in London alone. The western world should not tolerate such exploitation. We know better. We can do better. We can and should stop this. This is the best film I have seen for a long time.

What a superb film! It's just a shame that it is based on true events..... A touching film that leaves questions to be asked about racism even today in 2013.... Brilliant acting..... Worth watching even if the subject is a little disturbing....

Excellent. Affecting. Real. I feel this has given me something to hold on to that I don't want to forget.

It is a well known fact that in several Muslim countries slavery still has not been abolished. It is also sad that blacks or the blacker blacks are once again on the bottom of the totem pole. Not only is the slavery sad, but the blatant racism that accompanies it and that in the 21st century. A third theme the movie also touched upon is the second class status of women, e. g. the need to cover oneself, the inability to speak at the border because the chauvinist human trafficker has 'already arranged everything in Khartoum', the potential of wife-beating and so forth. It is really a worthwhile movie to watch and unlike other entertainment, touches upon some real major issues that need to be raised in our society. It is also a real failing at the borders that such people can enter the UK isles. One does not need to be an advocate of complete anarchy and licentiousness to see that current practice in Saudi Arabia and other countries is completely at odds with human rights. In the name of Christianity we have of course the Americas and the history of, mainly black, slaves there. However, William Wilberforce after his conversion to Christianity relentlessly fought and succeeded in the abolishment of slavery in the UK. It is absurd to see how little action is taken, if thousands of slaves apparently reside in London today. Moreover, how sad is it that I have never heard of any UN concerns about slavery in Saudi Arabia and that Saudi Arabia has been endowed with the role to protect womens' rights. I really hope that while our governors may care less, we should be moved concerning this grave injustice and make this world a better, more humane place.