Redemptorist Director Fr Vijay Discusses His Calling to Filmmaking and Liguori's Trafficked in the U.S.

Who says that filmmaking and preaching do not go together? For Fr. Charles Vijay Kumar, Redemptorist priest and director of Liguori's new documentary, Trafficked in the U.S., the connection between directing films and the priesthood is inseparable.

According to him, “the gospel has to be preached to the audience where they are. People don’t go to church as much anymore, and so film is a powerful tool to meet people and share the Good News.”

Fr. Vijay (as he is affectionately known) was first professed in 2004, and later ordained in 2009 as a Redemptorist priest in Bangalore, India, where he was born. He has served as an associate pastor and preached parish missions and school retreats around India.

Fr. Vijay’s interest in film began with producing an adult faith formation series. His experience with the series led him to want to produce more professional films, and he enrolled in Loyola Marymount University’s graduate program for Film and Television Production.

As a part of his Master’s program, Fr. Vijay filmed the documentary Trafficked in the U.S. The topic was inspired by Susan Patterson, author of How You Can Fight Human Trafficking: Over 100 Ways To Make a Difference, when she discussed her book during Mass at St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church in late 2014 where Fr. Vijay serves as a resident priest.

“I remember I heard this when I was fairly new to [this country], and I was very much shocked to hear there was human trafficking going on here; and it is actually the second biggest crime after drugs in the U.S.” said Fr. Vijay.

Upon exploring the topic further through seminars and meetings, he discovered that many Americans are just as unaware of the frequency of trafficking here, which led Fr. Vijay to produce this documentary.

“It connected with my ministry as a Redemptorist, to preach the gospel to the most abandoned. And this proved to me that this was a group that really needed a voice,” said Fr. Vijay.

The documentary has been endorsed by Sister Stella Maria Enright, DMJ, an activist in the human trafficking ministry and former long-time Principal of St. Paul the Apostle School, Los Angeles. The Daughters of Mary and Joseph have made fighting trafficking their international goal.

“This film directly confronts the notion that human trafficking is not part of our daily lives and forces us to see its pervasive effects on our society. It is an important film for all teens and adults to see,” said Sister Stella Maria Enright.

Since filming Trafficked in the U.S., Fr. Vijay has begun to tackle yet another subject related to social justice.

In his next film, he directs a documentary on immigration and migration, which premiers at his alma mater, Loyola Marymount, during its symposium on the same subject in 2018.

“Sharing the Good News with those who need to hear it is part of what makes a Redemptorist a Redemptorist, and making these films is about preaching to those that are suffering,” said Fr. Vijay.

He hopes with the help of these films he can build awareness of these topics and help others to be part of the solution, as he says the reason that it is such a problem is other’s unfamiliarity with the problem. By spreading the Good News, he aspires to reach those who suffer, as well as those that are in a state to help.

Trafficked in the U.S. is released on August 1, 2017, and available for pre-order.