A Movie To Shock Australia

by Dee McLachlan

18 years ago, in 2007, my movie on sex trafficking in Melbourne, THE JAMMED, hit the screens. It attracted a lot of attention and critics like David Stratton went on to name the film as the “best Australian film of the year,” with an INFILM review describing the thriller as…

“…a bucket of icy cold water thrown on the groggy, ambivalent face of public conscience.”

The Jammed went on to win Best Film, Best Script and Best Music at the IF Awards and a 2015 review in The Guardian, entitled “Indie thriller that became a runaway Aussie success,” described how the film became a local hit. “Word of mouth spread and the film went on to achieve the highest-grossing weekly opening screen average of any Australian indie in history.” Screenings expanded across the country and two weeks became 20, with Luke Buckmaster describing, “THE JAMMED is an Aussie indie through and through -– and an oxygen-depleting thriller to savour and revisit.”

A side note: the ABC and other streamers don’t want it.

I suspect my quasi-sequel to the Jammed, HOSTAGE OF THE STATE, will probably be released in late 2026 or 2027… some 20 years later. This film is not about sex trafficking in Australia — but a step up (or is that down?) — it’s on ‘child trafficking’. In many respects more shocking. I wrote the script two years ago but the thought of submerging myself in the pain and the appalling suffering of these parents and children for a year seemed daunting. But that’s what is required.

And I see no option now but to get this movie made. So few people in Australia and the Western World are actually cognizant of how government child agencies and the courts become the most abusive and brutal systems acting against families and children. For decades advocates have been trying (somewhat unsuccessfully) to make change to a “broken” system that is designed to remove and profit off children. Having spent five years communicating with ministers, chief justices, and the PM’s office I realized none have the want or will to change. But maybe a highly publicized film could lead to societal pressures forcing them to act against a brutal and deeply entrenched system.

The movie SOUND OF FREEDOM (based on the life of a retired Federal agent) exposed the underground global market in child exploitation as it followed his dangerous mission into the Colombian jungles to save a young girl. Angel Studios was handsomely rewarded through the box office when it earned $250 million worldwide. That was unexpected blue sky.

My film will be about legalized child trafficking. I cannot guarantee any blue sky for investors in HOSTAGE OF THE STATE. The film may very well suffer from orchestrated media and distributor ostracism (as did Sound of Freedom). But I can guarantee that the film will not be a “bucket of icy cold water,” but rather…

  “…a taser to shock the reticent and ambivalent face of public conscience into action.”

It is my intention to have a gofundme site added to the end credits, and hopefully this might garner hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund legal reparations for parents across Australia.

So this is my plea today. I am asking for any assistance from readers for leads or introductions to ethical high-worth investors, or accounting firms or financial advisors to assist in raising a few million towards the budget. It will have market-known actors. The investors should have a serious interest in advancing the truth and well-being of children in this country. If not, they should take their dollars and advance their own interests. I have at least six years of skin in the game — investing my time (loss of earnings) to facilitate this project.

Anyone with any leads, introductions or potential meetings, can email me (email at the bottom of page) — and I can forward a pitch and docs.

You know the tweets… “Thank you for your attention on this matter.”

 

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DONATION PLEA

I thought I would include another small plea today … for donations towards FAMILY XYZ.

I am publicly unable to describe any detail of their predicament, but I can assure readers that this is a worthy and important cause. Any small donation would be much appreciated by these children. Of course, at the right time, I will most definitely be publishing their story. In the meantime, anyone willing to donate (through The Jammed Pty Ltd paypal (credit card) site) these amounts will be passed on asap. I’m hoping to raise about $1500. (I’ll report back on Gumshoe the exact amounts raised.)  Many thanks.

DONATION LINK

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My video summarizing the Child Protection Racket:

 

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