New movie 'City of Dreams' explores harrowing, harsh, heartbreaking issue of child human trafficking

HOLLYWOOD -- Dreams" follows a young boy from Mexico whose dreams of becoming a soccer star are shattered when he's trafficked across the border and sold to a sweatshop in downtown Los Angeles.

Director Mo Ramchandani has been working on this story for years and is passionate about its message. "I think this movie is very intense and real and I designed it in a way to really punch people in the gut and wake them up to this. It talks about labor trafficking here in America. it brings us back home and shows us what's happening in our back yard."

The film focuses on Jesus... a young man whose journey is even more harrowing because he is unable to speak.

"I said I don't want this movie to be preachy, I don't want it to be political," said Ramchandani. "I just wanted to get into this character, into his head, and show you from his point of view what happened and the emotional toll it takes on him."

The director saw hundreds of actors for his lead role before discovering young actor Ari Lopez in Mexico.

"I said from the beginning the two most important components are the camera and the kid," said Ramchandani. "I looked at him and it was like that's it! He is such a vulnerable emotional open human being, I feel like the universe blessed me, I got really lucky."

On screen, Mo doesn't sugar coat what Jesus must go through. He hopes movie-goers will be motivated to find out more about the human trafficking issue.

"In the end, if people are affected emotionally that's when they take action," said Ramchandani. "My intention was to get people angry to say enough is enough."

One of the executive producers of the film is singer Luis Fonsi, who also contributes a song to the film 's soundtrack.

"City of Dreams" is in theaters now.