Background
The above quote is from the movie, “The Sound of Freedom.” There has been good and bad press surrounding “The Sound of Freedom,” the new film released by Angel Studios. While the movie was recently released, Fox Studios completed the movie five years prior.
Disney acquired the movie in their purchase of Fox and immediately shelved it. Disney later sold the film to Angel Studios, who resorted to crowdfunding to get the picture released. No studio wanted to release the movie. I wonder why?
The film is based on actual events in the life of Tim Ballard, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) special agent. Tim is played by actor Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ, Person of Interest). Let’s take a deeper look at the subject and message of the movie.
Sound of Freedom Movie Summary
The movie opens with Rocio and Miguel Aguilar – a sister and brother recruited by a modeling agency. Their devoted dad brings them to the audition room at a local hotel. The father is told he can’t stay with his children and to return at 7 pm. He returns to pick them up, only to find the room empty and his children gone.
The brother and sister are sold to two different bidders. We follow agent Tim Ballard as he finds Miguel, who asks Tim to find his older sister, Rocio. Along the way, Tim runs into roadblocks – eventually losing the support of the DHS.
For some, this movie can undoubtedly be challenging to watch. However, it explores an oft-overlooked subject in the most tasteful way possible. Tragically, the sexual exploitation of children is a reality that’s happening worldwide, and we shouldn’t disregard it.
Though the subject matter is intense, the director avoided scenes that would be highly unsettling to the viewer. For example, part of the agent’s job is to watch the video evidence he finds of child trafficking. Still, the camera zooms in on his heartbroken reaction, leaving the horrors of what’s happening on the tape to the viewer’s imagination.
Movie Facts
Fact. The film states more people are in slavery today than at any other time in history. This includes when slavery was legal in the US.
Fact Check. While that is true, the world population has increased since slavery was banned in the US, which could partly explain why that’s the case. A more compelling statistic would have been if the percentage of the population in slavery had increased – although I’m sure you’ll agree that one person – especially one child – in slavery is too many.
Fact. A drug dealer can sell cocaine once. A child can be sold 5 to 10 times daily for up to 10 years. Child trafficking is a $150 billion global criminal enterprise.
Fact. Over 20 million child pornographic pictures were posted online. There has been a 5000% increase in child pornography in the last five years.
Associated Facts
Fact. Human trafficking quadrupled between the years 2008 and 2019.
Fact. The number of boys found among trafficking victims has increased five times in the past 15 years.
Fact. Since 2021 over 350,000 children have crossed the United States (US) southern border. Eighty-five thousand of those children are now missing.
Fact. The US is the world’s leading consumer of child pornography.
Critics of “The Sound of Freedom” argue actors in the movie have ties to QAnon, even going so far as to say the film was specifically designed to instill fear in QAnon followers. For those unfamiliar with the group, QAnon is the name for the conspiracy theory that Donald Trump is fighting corrupt politicians and Deep State, satan-worshiping pedophiles.
Despite these claims, the movie depicts nothing about the economic or political status of the pedophiles in the film, nor does it discuss their beliefs. It simply states pedophiles exist and that child sex traffickers bank on their existence. This movie did not promote QAnon beliefs, regardless of where individual actors may or may not stand.
Most people don’t base the value of a piece of entertainment on the views of the actors portraying the roles but on the content itself.
Critics also argue this movie makes the protagonist out to be a superhero – but this is often the case with films based on true stories. Embellished events are a consequence of Hollywood production, and this movie is no different.
Should I see “The Sound of Freedom”?
Yes, without question! As I watched the movie, I remember when my 5-year-old son and I became separated in the mall. I imagined how he could have been easily kidnapped and become a child trafficking victim.
While the topic is complex, I believe it would benefit any parent, stepparent, or guardian whose goal is to keep their children safe from predators or shed light on the issue of human trafficking. Watch “Sound of Freedom” in theaters now.
Are your finances tight? No worries, generous donors through Angel Studios are graciously making free tickets available.
