'Sold' screens in Nepal

Kathmandu: Multi-award winning Hollywood film 'Sold', based on the story of child trafficking in Nepal, was screened in Kathmandu in the presence of ministers, senior diplomats, government officials, artists and social activists.

The screening was attended by starcast including Seems Biswas (Bandit Queen) and Sushmita Mukharjee ( Khalnayak, Dostana) along with Oscar-winning director Jeffrey D Brown and Producer Jane Charles.

Nepalese Communication Minister Mrigendra Rijal, Commerce Minister Sunil Thapa and US Ambassador to Nepal Peter W Bode were among the dignitaries who were present on the occasion of the special screening.

Child rights organization Childreach Nepal launched the Taught Not Trafficked campaign to prevent child trafficking in Nepal through education on November 18, 2014.

Every year as many as 10,000 to 20,000 children are estimated to be trafficked out of Nepal, mainly to India. Most trafficked children are girls aged between twelve and eighteen, who are sold to work as human slaves primarily in the sex industry in India and within indentured labour in countries as far away as the Gulf, according to a press release issued on the occasion.

'Sold', starring Gillian Anderson, tells the story of Laxmi, a 13 year old Nepali girl sold to a brothel in Kolkata, India. An extraordinary tale of survival, the film is directed by Oscar winner

Jeffrey D Brown and based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Patricia McCormick.

The film throws a light on the fate that many girls face after being trafficked from Nepal under false promises of employment.

"I wanted to create a film that could foster change and serve as a vehicle to raise funds for children that would make a substantial difference in their lives. Working closely with Childreach

Nepal during the production of the film, it became clear that education was the key to making a real difference, so we jumped at the chance to help with the Taught Not Trafficked campaign to keep Nepali children in school," remarked Jeffery.