Hope in Heaven is a documentary that examines the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 sex trade and the young women and children it trafficks.
It was part of a five-year development project funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in cooperation with Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) and Saint Mary’s University

Saint Mary's University (Halifax)

Saint Mary's University is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada. The school is best known for having nationally lead programs in Business, Astronomy and International Development Studies as well, one of the best football and Men's hockey programs in Canada .The campus is situated in Halifax's...

, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Plot

Hope in Heaven, by filmmaker Meredith Ralston, examines the Philippines brutal sex trade and the young women and children it enslaves.
Seen through the eyes of two idealistic female students and a male university professor, the film captures two years of Mila’s life and the people who befriend her, the poverty and squalor she lives of Angeles City

Angeles City

The City of Angeles , located within the province of Pampanga in the Philippines, is locally classified as a first-class, highly-urbanized city. Its name is derived from El Pueblo de los Ángeles in honor of its patron saints, Los Santos Ángeles de los Custodios , and the name of its founder, Don...

 she lives in.
The documentary depicts the social hygiene clinic in Angeles where hundreds of young women and children line up daily for health checks in primitive conditions.
Interviews with prostitutes, mama-sans, community workers, academics and clients expose the complexity of prostitution

Prostitution

Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...

 in two very different cultures.
The documentary also shows live footage of seventeen children (some as young as ten years old) are rescued from a local brothel in Angeles and caught disturbingly on film.

Funding

Hope in Heaven was part of a five-year development project funded by the Canadian International Development Agency

Canadian International Development Agency

The Canadian International Development Agency was formed in 1968 by the Canadian government. CIDA administers foreign aid programs in developing countries, and operates in partnership with other Canadian organizations in the public and private sectors as well as other international organizations...

 (CIDA) in cooperation with Mount Saint Vincent University

Mount Saint Vincent University

Mount Saint Vincent University is a university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was established in 1873 and is locally referred to as The Mount.-History:...

 (MSVU) and Saint Mary’s University

Saint Mary's University (Halifax)

Saint Mary's University is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada. The school is best known for having nationally lead programs in Business, Astronomy and International Development Studies as well, one of the best football and Men's hockey programs in Canada .The campus is situated in Halifax's...

, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Profits

All profits from the documentary were donated to the Women Helping Women Center in Angeles, Philippines, and to Mila, who suffers from tuberculosis.

Produced in association with

• The Canadian International Development Agency
• CIDA-AUCC TIER 2 UPCD Programme
• Mount Saint Vincent University
• MSVU Technology Learning and Research Centre
• Saint Mary’s University
• SMU International Activities Office

Meredith Ralston

The documentary was written, directed

Film director

A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...

 and produced

Film producer

A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...

 by Meredith Ralston.
Ralston is a professor in the women's studies and political studies Departments at Mount Saint Vincent University and president of Ralston Productions Ltd. in Halifax where she lives.
She is a graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.
Ralston is a Fredericton High School

Fredericton High School

Fredericton High School is a high school in the city of Fredericton in New Brunswick, Canada. It is the oldest English high school in Canada, founded in 1800.-History:...

 graduate who studied political science at the University of New Brunswick before earning her degree at the University of Toronto.

Awards

Hope In Heaven (Selling Sex in Heaven) won Best Documentary

Documentary film

Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...

 at the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival

Big Bear Lake International Film Festival

The Big Bear International Film Festival has been held in the mountain community of Big Bear Lake, California, United States since 2000. Every year, the festival expands with number of submissions and the prestige of their honorees. The festival hosts both film and screenplay...

in California.
It was also featured at the Atlantic Film Festival in September 2005.