Bypass highlights the reality of the illegal trade of human organs. Its director and producers hope that those who watch it will become organ donors and contribute to the solution.
‘’If there were sufficient legal organs available, the need for a black-market trade would decrease significantly,’’ says Samantha Nicholls of the Organ Donor Association of South Africa.
Many South Africans have been disturbed flyers at various traffic lights around Cape Town, promoting organs for sale and directing those interested to the New Day Clinic. These pamphlets, as well as the website, form part of the movie’s promotional campaign – designed to draw attention to a trade that is very real.
Husband and wife director and producer duo, Shane and Bianca Vermooten, have devised these promotional tactics to not only encourage South African’s to watch the film, but also as a means of social activism.
‘’From the outset of creating Bypass, I had three concepts that I wasn't willing to compromise on. Bypass was going to be in English, it was going to be a thriller, and the protagonist had to be a strong female of colour. During our writing process we came across an organ trafficking case where more than 100 illegal operations had taken place in one of our national hospitals. Highlighting a common misconception that black market organs are only traded in far off African countries, when often it is taking place right under our noses in ‘legitimate’ hospitals,’’ says Shane Vermooten.
In 2007, the World Health Organization estimated that out of all transplants worldwide, 5% to 10% were conducted illegally. In 2011, it was estimated that the organ trade generated illegal profits between $600-million USD and $1.2-billion USD per year.
Underground organ markets present a significant threat to the security of national organ donation systems, eroding the image of transplantation and public confidence in organ transplantation worldwide.
“We want our audiences to go to the movie theatre, and have a thrilling journey from start to finish. It is important to note that Bypass is a fictional medical thriller and is no way meant to be a documentary. We pose a few questions around the issue but then we want to leave it to our audiences to take the conversation further. The Organ Donor Foundation does amazing work in this field and as a result are the perfect partner to help drive the conversation around organ transplantation and donation,” says Shane.
Becker-Aakervik concludes, “I hope that this film creates much needed awareness for organ trafficking, and that together, we can create a movement that will make a difference.”
You can watch the trailer here.
For more information, visit www.bypassmovie.com. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.