Silent Screams

Documentaries and even watching a series of a show has never interested me . But, this one in particular has caught my eye even before I decided to watch it. Jeffrey Epstein was someone who I didn't know much about, his upcoming, money, and actions. It wasn't until recently that I learned about him on the Tiktok platform. At first it was all confusing because the information was so vague because of his mysterious personality and upcoming. It was quickly brought up about his past victims, something that couldn't be ignored. “Filthy Rich” does a great job going in depth with his life and uses great storytelling and elements not only to keep the audience engaged but informed as well.

The documentary starts off with a climax for the plot. The first victims, Maria Farmer and Annie Farmer, filed a report against him and his girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell in 1998. Everything moves at a very fast pace which is why the conflict arises so quickly. Many victims are interviewed throughout within different timelines that the show provides of Epstein's life. Interviews, documentation, past videotapes of victims in Palm Beach Police Department, and old photos of the victims when they were sexually harrassed by Epstein. In the documentary about 11 victims that we just see throughout the show were present and all of them shared their stories with provided evidence. They also go in depth on how these victims were stalked by his own personal investigators during the trials against law enforcement and Epstein. These elements all keep the audience engaged, especially creating strong emotions as the show is goes on.

As mentioned before, I didn't know much about Epstein and of his wrong doings. It was about two weeks ago that he was brought to my attention and as I tried researching on what his profession was and how he was brought into the spotlight before his victims came forward it was all very vague. “Filthy Rich” does a great job mentioning this as well. No one really knows or understands how they came up and how he had so much money, they mention that he in a way kept this mysterious persona of his and he liked it that way. Many of his ex-employers also came forward and talked about how he lied on his resume and questioned his past of education and teaching. The storytelling in this specific part of the story does great because the directors realise how many people like me don't quite understand what he did for a living. Creating that connection with the audience was very helpful for their success in the show.

Although I have watched documentaries in the past nothing can compare to Filthy Rich. Their storytelling in terms of informing the audience of the problem that was going on and this whole sexual harrasment, CP, prositition of minors, and the sex trafficing. Not only that but the mass of children and women who were affected by him, some can't even be traced because there is so many out there in different locations based off all his properties (Condo in New York, mansion in Palm Beach, ranch in New Mexico, and Private Island in the Carribeans). It is clear that this storytelling production does a great job with their media as well. We see different shots of the victims and of Epstein, cuts in between, videos, and photos. Not only did I enjoy this documentary but it was extremely emotional to see this darkness he has created for the victims and their families. I would strongly recommend this documentary to anyone who wants to get informed on this topic that unfortunately is so common in today's society. By getting informed, hopefully one day we can see an end to this horrific chain of human trafficking.