Love Sonia to be screened at UN on International Day of the Girl Child

Love Sonia, a film about sex trafficking, will be showcased at the UN, marking its first screening in the US.

The movie will be screened at UN in New York on 11 October, the International Day of the Girl Child. The screening will be hosted by the UN Office for Drugs and Crime and Indian anti-trafficking organisation, Apne Aap Women Worldwide, read a statement.

"Art is a powerful advocacy tool to raise awareness and we hope this beautifully acted thoughtful film will move people to take action against the scourge of sex trafficking," said Simone Monasebian, director of the UN Office for Drugs and Crime.

According to the UNODC, human trafficking is the third largest crime in the world, involving billions of dollars and victimising thousands of people, especially women and children.

Survivors of prostitution from Apne Aap supported the filmmakers by sharing their life stories with director Tabrez Noorani and the actors, showing them the red light areas of Kolkata and were on the set during filming.

"It's an honour for us to screen our film Love Sonia for the UN. I feel privileged and I am looking forward to the screening on the 11 October in New York," Noorani said.

Love Sonia review: Does mankind have the stomach to digest this bitter truth?

Ruchira Gupta, founder of Apne Aap, says the movie is an authentic tale about the horrors of sex trafficking.

The screening will be followed by a reception to honour the Love Sonia team. Apne Aap will give The Last Girl award to an undisclosed recipient to be revealed in the next week or so. Last year, this award was given by Apne Aap to Ashley Judd.

Love Sonia has a strong ensemble cast starring Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chadha, Rajkummar Rao, Sai Tamhankar, Adil Hussain, Anupam Kher, Demi Moore, Mark Duplass with Freida Pinto and newcomers Mrunal Thakur and Riya Sisodiya.