SYNOPSIS

In a hidden safehouse in the Ghanaian forest, social workers help two children recover from a childhood enslaved to fishermen on Lake Volta - the largest man-made lake on Earth. But their story takes an unexpected turn when their rescuer embarks on another rescue mission and asks the children for help.

Haunted by the memory of his friend who disappeared on the lake, twelve year old Edem is reluctant to talk about his experience. Meanwhile, seventeen-year old Peter is burdened by a sense of responsibility to help his best friend, who is still enslaved to their master on the lake. When Kwame, their rescuer, announces that his team is setting off on another rescue mission and needs the children’s help, Peter seizes the opportunity, setting in motion a journey that will change the boys’ lives forever.

The Rescue List charts the unfolding drama of these rescue operations alongside a stirring portrait of the boys’ recoveries as they prepare to return to their families. The film depicts a moving story of friendship and courage that transcends the trope of victimhood, exploring what it means to love and to survive.

Key Participants

Peter – A rescued child who was sold at a young age and worked on Lake Volta until he was 17.

Edem – A 12-year-old boy who worked on the lake with his friend Steven

Teye – Peter’s friend who worked on the lake with him

Kwame – A former child slave who now works as the lead rescuer
Steven – Edem’s friend who worked on the lake

Bernice + Kwesi: Social workers at the shelter

Key Issues

The Rescue List is an excellent tool for outreach and will be of special interest to people who want to explore the following topics:

• modern slavery and abolition
• human trafficking
• poverty
• educational inequity
• trauma & recovery
• Lake Volta and privatization
• community, friendship
• extractive economies