An Interview with Joshua Cornelius: Director of "A Ray of Hope"

Content Warning: Mentions of addiction, human trafficking, rape, and intense situations. Reader discretion is advised.

Joshua Cornelius is the director and producer of several films including "A Ray of Hope" and "Something Inside So Strong".

Picture this: At a young age you fall into a spiral of addiction and substance abuse. These sweep you up with the wrong crowd. They market and sell your body to clients for sex. They offer to help you find clientele who will pay, thus feeding your addiction.

You are now answerable to your captors. If you do not deliver, they berate and harm you in ways that are unfathomable. They not only threaten your life but of those you love. They do everything in their power to keep you coming back.

What would you do to escape this phenomenon? What steps would you take? Would you have the courage to try?

Mia recounts the story of her survival and her healing.

This is the premise of A Ray of Hope, a documentary that tells the story of Mia, a human trafficking survivor turned activist. It starts as an exploration into addiction and the circumstances that led to Mia’s enslavement. It then recounts her story through the trials she endured as a human that was trafficked. Through drug addiction, abuse, to motherhood, to escaping, and the healing that takes place after…Mia finds strength she never knew to overcome insurmountable odds.

In a recent interview, A Ray of Hope Director and Producer Joshua Cornelius and I sat down to discuss the film, its premise, and the insights that he gained. We also explored his own journey as a filmmaker and what drove him to this venture. Ultimately, he aspires to live a life in service of others.

Joshua's story before filmmaking was not easy. Nor was it the initial trajectory he saw his career. Seeking to start his life anew after growing up in Philadelphia, he joined the United States Army National Guard. During his time in the armed forces, he distinguished himself and was promoted to Sergeant.

Joshua didn't originally set out to be a filmmaker. The Director and Producer grew into it though.

During his service, Joshua attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Management.He was later celebrated for his contributions during his service in both Operation Enduring Freedomand Operation Inherent Resolve. Afterwards he served as a Narcotics Detective for the Baltimore Metropolitan Police Department. The trauma he sustained while serving both in the military and as a police officer haunted him.

Joshua said, “As a cop, there would be several points during any given week where I would nearly lose my life.” That trauma manifested itself in insidious ways. His friendships and even relationships with family suffered. These strains too also took a toll on his mental health. Some of his loved ones stuck by him but he also lost several connections.

Filmmaking was what ultimately saved him. Though Joshua started with photography he eventually picked up video editing. Telling stories provided a creative outlet to express himself. Putting those narratives to film gave him the ability to explore themes he encountered within his life and had been previously struggling to express.

“I am not the same person that I was even five years ago.”

Eventually Joshua would go on to earn a Film degree from Full Sail University. His first documentary he produced was called Something Inside So Strong.The film tells the story of how two professors at the University of Florida bring a summer program called, Akwaaba Freedom School, to Alachua County, Florida. The program focuses on black and brown children in low income areas with the hopes of improving literacy and giving them hope for the future.  This program has such a rich history as it originally started in the 1960s during segregation as a way to help black children in rural Mississippi when they were not allowed to attend schools within their districts. 

Something Inside So Strong was Joshua's first documentary that focused on inequity. He partnered with local non-profits to bring the message to a wider audience. It was through his partnership with Selah Freedom, an anti-human trafficking non-profit, that he first met Mia and became inspired by her story.

A Ray of Hope was the result of this inspiration. It took three months for it to be completed. Joshua listened to Mia's story again and again. As he learned more about her journey, it became more important for him not to sensationalize her story.

"You are asking someone to relive their worst chapters. You are asking them to be coherent and to tell a clear story. It is very difficult."

Mia's journey is one of hope and redemption.

Joshua admitted he felt bad for even doing the documentary. It was soon clear to him that the story shouldn't just be about Mia's worst days. Rather, it also became one of hope and redemption. Some of the content they discussed didn't make it to the final cut of the film because he wanted to preserve her privacy. It was a project that took three edits before the story was fully conceptualized.

Indeed, Mia's journey as chronicled in A Ray of Hope chronicles what happened to her but also tells how she survived and later learned to thrive. It looks at what broke her and what she did to escape. It also looked at how she began her own healing and recovery journey.

When asked about what he hoped audiences will take away from the film, Joshua said that he wanted people to understand that human trafficking was not something that happens elsewhere. Rather, it is something happening in our backyards. He also wanted audiences to realize that we all start as innocent and that these circumstances can truly break people.

However, people are also not their worst moments. There are those who are not only able rise above them but also go on and thrive. We can all do our part as well to recognize the warning signs of human trafficking.

Filmmaking became a way for Joshua to find himself and to heal from his own journey.

As a Veteran and a former cop, Joshua saw a lot of people hurting and felt as though he couldn't help as much as he desired. He found that filmmaking allowed him to serve others while also giving him the outlet he needed to unlearn a lot of his training. "I started learning how to listen with more empathy out of selfish reasons. I wanted the story. I wanted to tell it."

This quickly grew into a genuine concern for people as his journey evolved. From listening to the trials and tribulations of those he encountered, Joshua gained profound insight on the human condition. Now, the Filmmaker realizes that life is pointless if you are not helping others. If it is all for yourself, what impact are you truly having?

"I want to live a life of fulfillment by making other lives better."

This is evident in the direction and production of A Ray of Hope. (He even put forward money to help make the film.) All proceeds from the film's screening are benefitting Selah Freedom and their mission to help human trafficking survivors such as Mia to escape and start their lives anew.

A Ray of Hope is set to premiere at the end of the summer. It will be hosted at a local theater in Sarasota, Florida. Mia will also be joining Joshua at the premiere to share her insights with audiences. You can also contact Joshua Cornelius for potential collaboration and follow him to learn more about his vision, purpose, and his journey.