Gimikera (The Streetwalker), 2008
48 minutes, Stereo, Color
A Documentary by Justin Hakuta and Joy 'Ligaya' Domingo
Mylene is 29 years old. She grew up in a rural province of the Philippines . As a teenager, Mylene was forced from brothel to bar to brothel in a vicious cycle where escape is difficult, where the only option is prostitution. She has been the sex slave of a policeman. She has been a gift to politicians. She has been forced to board docked ships to service its customers. She gave birth to her son under these brutal circumstances. None of this was her choice.
Gimikera presents the life of Mylene within the issue of human trafficking in the Philippines- within the economic troubles, the cultural factors, the corruption, the international aid, the media coverage, the statistics and the hype of trafficking, you have the people that actually go through it all. You have normal people, like you and I, who are victimized and forever transformed by this terrible injustice. You have the social workers, lawyers, and advocates who tirelessly fight to combat the issue. You have organized crime and endemic corruption that allow trafficking to flourish.
This film depicts the reality of trafficking in the Philippines through the eyes of a survivor. Gimikera, or Streetwalker in English, follows the struggles and triumphs of Mylene as she picks up the pieces and tries to put her life back together.
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