Writes Vassilia Orfanou, PhD, Post Doc
Headline Diplomat eMagazine, LUDCI.eu
The highly anticipated film “The Sound of Freedom,” starring Jim Caviezel, will finally be released on the 4th of July. This powerful movie sheds light on the issue of child trafficking, delivering a compelling story that raises awareness and inspires action. Mark your calendars for this significant release, as “The Sound of Freedom” aims to bring the urgent message of combating child trafficking to audiences worldwide on Independence Day.
The movie, by Angel Studios is an action-drama biopic based on the story of a certain extraction operation in Colombia illustrating the rescue of more than 100 children from sex traffickers.
It is based on a true story of Tim Ballard, a former federal agent who quit his job to save children caught up in the sex slavery trade. Tim’s organization, Operation Underground Railroad, is committed to the rescue of children from global traffickers.
The main stars of the movie are the award-winner Jim Caviezel, who stars as Ballard, alongside Oscar-winner Mira Sorvino and Emmy-nominee Bill Camp. Actor Jim Caviezel, who is popular for his performance in The Passion of The Christ, and the lead actor in Sound of Freedom, said, “An estimated 2 million children are trafficked every year and we can help.” He added, “Sound of Freedom is based on a true story about real-life heroes saving kids from the world of child trafficking.”
“We know this is heartbreaking and it hurts to look at, but the first step in helping these children is hearing their story,” he added. “Not enough people know this problem exists and even fewer people are willing to do anything about it. Our goal is to inspire two million people to attend the film’s opening weekend to represent the two million trafficked children around the world.”
Jim Caviezel plays Ballard, a former federal agent who discovers his life’s work after meeting a young boy and his sister who was kidnapped in Honduras by sex traffickers. The movie shows deceitful methods used by traffickers to lure and kidnap children, reflecting Tim Ballard’s personal experiences in dealing with traffickers as a federal agent and later his own, outside the backing of the US government.
What will be the impact of the “Sound of Freedom” movie?
The Sound of Freedom is a huge step forward in stopping the suffering of children around the world. Besides being thrilling, the movie also assists to raise awareness of human trafficking problems. The movie will draw attention to the trafficking and exploitation of children.
Even though it isn’t easy to eradicate trafficking for good, it is vital to keep the conversation ongoing so that the change can take place worldwide. The International Labour Organization (ILO) says trafficking is among “forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery” and should be abolished as soon as possible.
The ILO estimates that 28 million people are trafficked and trapped in forced labor or slavery. Of those, it says one in four are under the age of 18. Hence, an estimated 5.5 million children are trafficked, of which 18% of those trafficked are female children and 17% are male. A huge number of trafficked children are being exploited sexually. They are also being forced into hard labor, which is extremely dangerous.
The “Sound of Freedom” is aimed at helping to eradicate this modern-day slavery and keep the conversation ongoing. This will help to raise awareness and raise funds. The funds come in handy as they will be used to actively find trafficking rings, raid them, rescue children, and arraign traffickers.
Recently, Twitter owner Elon Musk has urged Angel Studios to stream ‘Sound of Freedom,’ the soon to be released movie on the platform. Musk tweeted Tuesday night, “I recommend putting it on this platform for free for a brief period or just asking people to subscribe to support (we would not keep any funds).” This will be a huge boost as it will help to raise more attention on the movie and child trafficking on social media.
What is the movie all about?
Angel Studios CEO, Neal Harmon said, “Sound of Freedom is a riveting film that shares the story of one man’s heroic efforts to rescue children from human trafficking.” He added, “Through this powerful cinematic experience, we aim to amplify the growing movement to expose this heinous violation of human rights and inspire people to take action, helping their communities put an end to this modern-day slavery once and for all.”
“Sound of Freedom follows the true story of Tim Ballard, who quit his job as a government agent to rescue children from sex trafficking. At first, he finds himself lost in this dark world but soon finds meaning after saving a 7-year-old boy who had been kidnapped. The young boy then asks Ballard to find and rescue his sister, who had also been kidnapped.”
Tim Ballard later founded Operation Underground Railroad, a nonprofit that works to rescue children from the world sex trade. Most of their employees are past government agents who partner with law enforcement around the world to save children.
Tim Ballard, Operation Underground Railroad, said “It’s funny because we all read history and we think, ‘Oh, I would … have risen up, I would have fought, I would have been an abolitionist,’ And I tell them, ‘No, you wouldn’t have. If you would have, you’d be doing that right now. You know trafficking exists, you’ve heard of it, but you don’t want to look.”
The movie, “Sound of Freedom,” was written and directed by Alejandro Montverde and produced by Eduardo Verastegui, and executive produced by Jaime Hernandez.
Final thoughts
The film, “Sound of Freedom,” is not only thrilling, but it should also be an eye-opener to the world on what goes around child trafficking. Not only is child trafficking a heinous crime, but it needs to be eradicated. This movie will help people understand how child trafficking works and how they can work with organizations and law enforcers to stop this crime.
Don’t miss watching the “Sound of Freedom,” scheduled to be released on the 4th of July. The official trailer is already out on YouTube!
Featured Photo: Emmanuel Codden, Pexels
