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Very Young Girls

Play trailer Poster for Very Young Girls Released Jul 4, 2008 1h 23m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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70% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
A documentary gives a candid perspective of prostitution and sex slavery in New York City. Centering on former-prostitute-turned-activist Rachel Lloyd and her support center, Girls Educational and Mentoring Services, the film gives in-depth access to the sad and shocking process of luring girls -- some as young as 13 -- into the degradation. As Lloyd struggles to save the girls -- and rehabilitate those who have fallen victim -- a tragic yet hopeful story unfolds.

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Very Young Girls

Critics Reviews

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Jeannette Catsoulis New York Times Adopting a confessional, direct-to-camera interview style for most of its running time, this unvarnished vrit documentary about teenage prostitutes in New York City resolutely resists the urge to dramatize. The heartbreaking stories are drama enough. Rated: 3.5/5 Jul 7, 2008 Full Review Michelle Orange Village Voice [A] heartbreaking look at the trafficking of underage girls in New York City. Jul 1, 2008 Full Review Ed Gonzalez Slant Magazine Delivers less insight into the psychology of why young girls turn to prostitution than HBO's Hookers. Rated: 2/4 Jun 30, 2008 Full Review Jennifer Merin About.com The film brings the painful plight of teenage prostitutes to light, refrains from inflicting any degree of blame or shame on them and points to ways they can reclaim their lives. Rated: 3.5/5 Jun 4, 2009 Full Review Prairie Miller Critical Women Sex, Class and Ho Daddies: The criminalization of sexually abused and exploited ghetto girls in scathing documentary. Jul 5, 2008 Full Review Kam Williams AALBC.com Should we really be surprised about this explosion in human trafficking in the ghetto when it has been celebrated for over a decade in every other gangsta' video? Rated: 4/4 Jul 4, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Should be mandatory viewing for everyone. Let me just quibble with the synopsis: saying "underage prostitution" makes it sound like underage prostitution is a subset of prostitution when, in fact, the average age of entry into prostitution in the United States is thirteen, so it is, in practice, impossible to separate out some kind of safe, consent-filled "adult prostitution". Every sex worker should be assumed to be a victim of human trafficking and sexual, physical, and emotional abuse until proven otherwise. This is a film about prostitution, period. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member This was a harrowing documentary. It opens your eyes to what is happening right in America's backyard. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member Tear jerker for me n e way... Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member I gave it 3 stars because it was disturbing to me throughout the whole documentary. I don't like being constantly disturbed throughout a whole movie. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member This documentary only received two and half stars on Netflix. It should have received more for the attention it brings to the sex trafficking of teenage girls that happens here, in our own city. Also captures the amazingly selfless efforts of the founder of Gems, who uses every resource possible to help rehabilitate the young girls who decide to leave prostitution and their pimps who have brainwashed them for years. Very interesting doc. Sometimes hard to watch because it's very real. Very sad and true. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member This is way better than Born Into Brothels, which seems like the most obvious point of comparison. And it's very, very good at putting a face on a problem, and even at offering something like a solution. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Very Young Girls

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Cast & Crew

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David Schisgall

Director

David Schisgall

Producer

Priya Swaminathan

Producer

Nina Alvarez

Producer

John Moser

Executive Producer

Diana Barrett

Executive Producer

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Very Young Girls

Very Young Girls (2007) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A documentary gives a candid perspective of prostitution and sex slavery in New York City. Centering on former-prostitute-turned-activist Rachel Lloyd and her support center, Girls Educational and Mentoring Services, the film gives in-depth access to the sad and shocking process of luring girls -- some as young as 13 -- into the degradation. As Lloyd struggles to save the girls -- and rehabilitate those who have fallen victim -- a tragic yet hopeful story unfolds.
Director
David Schisgall
Producer
David Schisgall, Priya Swaminathan, Nina Alvarez
Production Co
Swinging T Productions
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 4, 2008, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 25, 2018
Runtime
1h 23m
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