Justin Dillon is the creator of the first rockumentary to draw attention to plight of the 27 million slaves across the world. We talk to him about his quest and find out how he enlisted the help of Ashley Judd, Daryl Hannah, Julia Ormond, Imogen Heap, Natasha Bedingfield, Cold War Kids and Talib Kweli on the way.



What's your personal connection to this topic?
I'm a musician by trade and discovered this topic after reading a New York Times article called The Girls Next Door. It was the trade of girls between Eastern Europe and the United States. These girls would pay their own way to come, they get on a plane, they stop over in Mexico City and they would be gang raped and threatened and then distributed to brothels throughout the United States. They're told they cannot leave or their families will be killed. I was shocked, and that really opened up my eyes to the situation.

A few months later, my band was playing in Russia and I began to meet girls who would start to tell me the same bits of that story - that they'd been given all this offers to come to the US. With one particular girl we asked that she showed us the contract and it was completely bogus. She'd already paid $US2400 to go and we knew for a fact that she was going to be trafficked, and so we were able to intervene.

It was at that point I realised that if this could be happening out in the open, there was just really not enough focus on it. So when I came back I was like 'I'm getting involved, I'm going to do whatever I can'.

How did the film come about?
I wanted to get other musicians involved, I just believed that if I felt this way as a musician, I bet you that others would feel the same way. So I just started cold calling as many musicians as I could, I didn't know anyone in the film - there isn't anyone in there that I had a direct link to - so I would just start calling managers or calling friends who are agents in Hollywood or New York who knew this person who knew that person and tried to network my way to get to asking if they'd be willing to participate with me in some kind of media piece that would help to get things started.

And it was that easy?
Hell no! It was the hardest part (laughs). I didn't have any name, I didn't have a resume, I'd never made a film, I didn't have any money - but that's what makes it great - people still said 'yeah'.

Tell us about one breakthrough moment
Ashley Judd was one, it took me a year to get in front of her. I really wanted her to be part of this because I knew she cared a lot about the topic.

She was on a press junket for another film and her manager called and she said "Alright well, I'm going to give you five minutes with her, you have to meet in two days in New York, (I'm on the west coast) she's doing a press junket and you're going to have to show up, you're going to have to rent a suite (I have no money), rent a suite at the Regency Hotel and you get five minutes. I was like, 'I'll do it!'.

I got a plane ticket, got on a flight that night, flew to New York, bought all the film gear, $5,000 worth got a suite, got a film crew, got the whole thing. I knew I only had five minutes to meet with her and her whole crew came in and she sat down. I started asking her questions, more and more questions and she stayed there for 45 minutes, because she is passionate about it and that's really what I found with every single person who's in the film, whether it was Madeline Albright or Natasha Bedingfield.

Even Daryl Hannah. I emailed her through her website and said 'Hey there I'm making this movie, want to come down next week, I'm filming and we could meet' and she was like 'I'd love to!' and I'm I'm pretty sure that doesn't happen very often, but that shows her willingness to be part of this.

What do you want people to take from the film?
I want people to understand that slavery is worse today than it ever was before. For the first time in history it's illegal everywhere and yet it's worse than it's ever been. It's wrong and yet highly profitable - so I want people to understand that slavery exists everywhere and that we have to start rolling up our sleeves and doing something about it.

We're all connected; it doesn't just touch people in other countries. The reality is that we're drinking this coffee, and that guy is driving that car with those tires, and he's working on that cell phone... slavery is in all of these products.

In all of these products there is somebody being exploited to give us the things that we enjoy. We have a responsibility and an opportunity as consumers to respond to it and make a difference.

What can people do about it?
Address the problem from the ethical consumer side. Recognise that we have a part in this and I'd love for them how much leverage they have as the consumer. The film is very clear, the way it ends, it's like you have more power than you think, and your consumption is your biggest weapon.

Call+Response is at cinemas now on limited release - check www.callandresponse.com.au to find your nearest cinema.