A powerful, new documentary film depicting the horrifying and dangerous practices of human trafficking and modern slavery on a global scale airs this weekend on CNN.
Oscar-nominated director Robert Bilheimer says the movie could be key to unlocking public awareness and calls for action.
"People do not recoil from this. They are angered by it and horrified by it. I think it's genuinely possible that we can move the dime on this, that we can put this in the forefront of the public consciousness. That's all you need," he said.
In 1809, the average price for a slave was $40,000 (adjusted to today's money). Two hundred years later, in 2009, the average price was just $90, according to Kevin Bales of freetheslaves.org.
In the United States, the number of trafficking victims is roughly equivalent to the number of murders each year, according to "The Slave Next Door" by Kevin Bales. And while 90 percent of murder cases are solved, only 1 percent of trafficking cases ever reach prosecution.