Call + Response

I went and saw a pretty unique and sweet film last night with some people from my church. About five years ago, musician Justin Dillion stumbled upon the tragic reality of the modern day slave trade. He knew he had to do something. Using his unique gift of music he was able to bring together many gifted voices, passionate about brining an end to slavery. Thus began the project of a film of the “Concert to End Slavery.”

The film has voices such as Cornel West, Madeleine Albright, Daryl Hannah, Julia Ormond, Ashley Judd, Nicholas Kristof, and many other prominent political and cultural figures offer first hand account of this 21st century trade. Performances from Grammy-winning and critically acclaimed artists including Moby, Natasha Bedingfield, Cold War Kids, Matisyahu, Imogen Heap, Talib Kweli, Five For Fighting, Switchfoot, members of Nickel Creek and Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, and Rocco Deluca move this had to swallow and chilling information into an inspirational charge to take up the cause and stop it.

“Music is part of the movement against human slavery. Dr. Cornel West connects the music of the American slave fields to the popular music we listen to today, and offers this connection as a rallying cry for the modern abolitionist movement currently brewing.”

Below is the trailer for the movie. Check it out and then go here to look around the website and see how you can get involved and be sure to catch a screening when it hits theaters in major cities Fall 2008.