Ananda Everingham lends voice to MTV anti-trafficking anime

Thai cinema's leading man, Ananda Everingham, will be featured as a voice in a half-hour animated film by MTV EXIT's campaign to combat human trafficking in Asia.

Intersection will also feature MTV VJ Taya Rogers and have music by Radiohead. It will premiere on MTV Asia on March 20.

The story will be told from the perspectives of five people -- a trafficking victim, a trafficker, a mamasan, a brothel client and an undercover cop.

Agence France-Presse has a report from Singapore:

"I am proud to be a part of this project that will educate young men and women in Singapore and all over Asia on this important issue," Everingham said.

"I hope the animation will stir meaningful conversations about how we can fight against this tragic form of modern-day slavery."

Intersection is being produced by MTV in cooperation with USAID. Right now, there are about 2.5 million people being trafficked, according to a joint statement by USAID and MTV, which also says that human trafficking is the second-biggest illegal trade after drugs, and that it earns US$10 billion annually.

Update: Daily Xpress has a story.

It's [Ananda's] first job as a voice-over artist. "My voice doesn't fit normal cartoons but I guess it works for this one," he told Daily Xpress.

Ananda reckons his soft-spoken speech is perfect for a sleazy trafficker who tries to lure women, but that wasn’t the original plan. He was first booked to play the good guy, but the director knew a villainous voice when he heard one.

The campaign’s director, Matt Love, hopes the message will get through to affluent kids who might unknowingly buy products or even sexual services from the victims of traffickers.

Ananda is just hoping that teens will watch the animation and enjoy it. "The message is important but the animation has to be good to get it across," he says.

(Via Brand Republic, AFP/Google News)