The children stare at the camera and speak to a father figure they may never see. These are orphans living in Angeles City, Philippines, and their stories are told in the new documentary “Fallen Angels” produced by RT Docs.
Most of these small children share a common origin; they are products of the thriving sex trade in the region. On the alluring concrete and neon facade of a bustling street, crowds of sex workers congregate to greet the city’s new arrivals. Men from all over the world flock to the Philippines with the promise of unbridled, easy sex. When these people return home, many of them will leave behind their offspring.
The children left behind by these men dream of becoming doctors and superstar actresses, but their circumstances leave them vulnerable to a life of poverty with limited life options. Their mothers had dreams of their own—white weddings and a life in the care of the men they loved—but their day-to-day lives were spent raising their children as financially and emotionally as possible. As they age, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to make ends meet and they are excluded from a sex industry that values youth above all else.
In one case depicted in the film, a male tourist confronts his responsibilities, falls in love with the woman he conceives, and does his part in raising the child. But this is by no means an exception to the harsh realities most gamers face in this painfully sad environment.
The film follows these young mothers through the city’s streets and hotels as they attract countless potential clients and express their inadequacies and regrets as they struggle to create a home for their children. “Fallen Angels” examines sex trafficking from an uncommon perspective, painting a deeply personal and compassionate portrait of a pandemic that has transformed entire regions of the world.
Directed by: Alyona Simikina
