''Playground'' is a 2009 documentary directed by
Libby Spears
Libby as a feminine given name is typically a diminutive form of Elizabeth, which is less commonly spelled 'Libbie' or ' Libi'.
In recent years, it has been used as a shortened version of the name Liberty.
As a surname, it can also be spelled ' ...
. The film focuses on the child sex trade in the United States.
''Playground'' challenges the notion that the sexual exploitation of children is limited to back-alley brothels in developing countries and traces the epidemic of exploitation to its disparate, and decidedly American, roots — among them the way children are educated about sex, and the problem of raising awareness about a crime that inherently cannot be shown.
The film includes interviews with Ernie Allen, President of the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Judge Sanford "Sammy" Jones, Former Chief Judge of the
Fulton County Juvenile Court and unfolds as a search for Michelle, an everyday American girl who was lost to the underbelly of sexual exploitation as a child and has yet to resurface a decade later.
''Playground'' features original artwork by Japanese pop artist,
Yoshitomo Nara, and animation by
Heather Bursch. The
executive producer
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
s were
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by George Clooney, numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film A ...
,
Grant Heslov,
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Andrew Soderbergh (; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. A pioneer of modern independent cinema, Soderbergh is an acclaimed and prolific filmmaker.
Soderbergh's direc ...
,
Abigail Disney, Lauren & Gayle Embrey, and
Jeff Vespa.
References
External links
*
Tribeca 2009 Interview*
{{bio-documentary-film-stub
American documentary films
Documentary films about child abuse
2009 films
2009 documentary films
Films about child prostitution
Child sexual abuse in the United States
Smokehouse Pictures films
2000s English-language films
2000s American films