She finds childlike comfort in a relationship with a little boy, the son of one of her co-workers. The girl is punished she's broken but not bowed. Her first encounter with a middle-aged customer becomes violent when Lakshmi resists and prevails. Lakshmi's initiation and transformation into a sex worker is shocking, both to her and to viewers. But far away, in India, Lakshmi slowly discovers that the 'nice family' is, instead, Mumtaz (Susmita Mukherjee) - the heartless owner of a brothel called 'Happiness House' - and her staff. She's told that must leave home to work for a nice family. Living in poverty in Nepal but finding joy in her simple life, the tween girl is devastated when she learns that her father has sold her to pay for a new roof after their old one collapsed in a storm. Nothing has prepared young Lakshmi (Niyar Saikia) for the surprising journey she takes in SOLD. Note: This review is of the 54-minute PG-13 version of the movie a longer, more intense version is also available. Additional violence includes Lakshmi held captive and threatened with a knife, the girl biting and injuring her rapist, and a police raid with fighting. The camera stays close on Lakshmi, her face, and her reactions as she initially battles back with fury. Scenes of sexual violation are kept in soft focus and are never graphic there's no nudity. That said, it's always clear that Lakshmi is living in a brothel with other girls and women - all of whom have been forced into sexual slavery. Brown and his team have made a film that isn't exploitative it's intended to educate and inspire. As harrowing as Lakshmi's story is, director Jeffrey D. Parents need to know that Sold, based on the book by Patricia McCormick, is the fictional tale of one very young Nepalese girl's tragic journey from childhood to life as a sex slave in India. Smoking throughout.ĭid you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sold by Patricia McCormick