The movie the Sound of Freedom and the issue of human child sex trafficking is the subject of this Big B File.
On Independence Day (July 4, 2023), I went to the Marcus Cinemas Chesterfield Galaxy 14 theater in Chesterfield, Missouri to see the movie The Sound of Freedom. According to the movie website:
“Sound of Freedom, based on the incredible true story, shines a light on even the darkest of places. After rescuing a young boy from ruthless child traffickers, a federal agent (played by Jim Caviezel) learns the boy’s sister is still captive and decides to embark on a dangerous mission to save her. With time running out, he quits his job and journeys deep into the Colombian jungle, putting his life on the line to free her from a fate worse than death.”
The Sound of Freedom is directed by Alejandro Monteverde and stars Jim Caviezel, Bill Camp, Cristal Aparicio, Javier Godino, Lucás Ávila, Yessica Borroto Perryman, Manny Perez, Eduardo Verástegui, and Mira Sorvino (among others). Eduardo Verástegui is also a producer for the movie. Check out the following movie trailer……...
The Big B Files strongly recommends that you go see this movie while it is still in theaters and strongly urge others to do so. As it says in the synopsis for the film, the movie covers the often not talked about (but definitely needs to be talked about) issue of human sex trafficking……particularly the sex trafficking of children as young as six, seven, and eight years old! Consider these facts from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC):
In 2022, the NCMEC received more than 19,000 reports of possible child sex trafficking.
In 2022, NCMEC received over 400 reports of children who had run away and were likely victims of child sex trafficking, who were also being exploited through a gang.
Trends show us that when children run away frequently or for long periods of time, they tend to be running from an unsafe situation or to an unsafe situation.
1 in 6 of the more than 25,000 cases of children reported missing to NCMEC in 2022 who had run away were likely victims of child sex trafficking.
Of the children reported missing to NCMEC in 2022, who had run from the care of child welfare, 18% were likely victims of child sex trafficking.
According to the organization founded by former U.S. Homeland Security Special Operative Tim Ballard, Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.)…..
“Human trafficking is the second most profitable illegal industry in the United States, second only to the drug trade (Gould, 2017). Drugs are bought and sold in one single transaction. Human beings, however, can be sold over and over again. Some victims report being forced to engage in commercial sex with up to fifty “clients” in single day (Kloer, 2010).
This system of forcing victims in commercial sex or labor is a relatively low risk/high reward system that motivates other to engage in the trafficking industry. While it is difficult to estimate the exact amount of profit this industry brings in yearly, the International Labour Organization (ILO) last estimated this number to be $150 billion annually (ILO, 2014). The massive price tag on this illicit industry only escalates the problem, as criminals seek to exploit the most vulnerable populations to their own advantage as much as possible for maximum profits.”
Let this line sink in……. “Human trafficking is the second most profitable illegal industry in the United States, second only to the drug trade…. “ to the tune of an estimated $150 Million annually!
The movie was made in 2018 but would not be shown in theaters until this year (2023) …. a full five (5) years later. In 2018, 20th Century Fox was sold by the parent company News Corporation to the Disney Company…the same company founded by the late Mr. Walt Disney. It was alleged that the Disney Company shelved the movie so that the movie would not see the light of day, but a Disney spokesperson told Variety that the “studio had no knowledge of “Sound of Freedom,” adding the prior deal was arranged by an international division of Fox for distribution only in Latin America.”
Nevertheless, a crowdfunding campaign led by Mater Media and other organizations were able to raise nearly $5 million to purchase the movie and distribution rights from the Walt Disney Company so that the producers of the movie could find a distributor that would agree to distribute the film.
It was announced on March 30, 2023 that Angel Studios had acquired the worldwide distribution rights to the Sound of Freedom movie and that the film will be released in 2,000 theaters on July 4th……Independence Day.
When the movie opened in theaters on July 4th, it quickly became the number one movie with gross movie sales of $14.2 Million on July 4th alone...beating out several other “blockbuster” movies including Disney's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. To date, the movie has made $210.8 million worldwide and counting with the movie reviews have been mostly positive. A few movie critics…..including The Guardian and Rolling Stone….basically attacked the movie and tried to connect it with political connections such as QAnon without having even seen the movie.
Watching the movie shook me to the core and made me realize that we cannot just stand idly by and do absolutely nothing about the issue of child sex trafficking and sex trafficking in general. We need to speak out pressure public officials at the local, state, and federal levels to do all they can to shut this down once and for all. We need to support organizations such as Ballard’s Underground Railroad and others who are doing the work to combat this……including the rescuing of children from the clutches of these evil and Despicable human sex traffickers who have no morals whatsoever.
And then there is the power of Prayer.
Mater Media, a Catholic apostolate founded and headed by my good friend and famous former St. Louis TV sportscaster Zip Rzeppa, has launched a prayer effort called #pray50for50 to pray for the end of child exploitation in each of the 50 states of the USA. Here is how this effort works (according to Mater Media):
How to do it? Gather in a small or large group in a local park to pray a total of 50 prayers for the end of child exploitation in each of the 50 states of the US. Some groups might pray the 50 Hail Marys of the Rosary or the 50 Mercy prayers of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Others might gather 50 People and each person can pray in their own way for the end of child exploitation in all 50 states.
PRAY 50 "Hail Marys" asking for the intercession of Blessed Mother Mary for the freedom and protection of children in all 50 states.
PRAY 50 "Divine Mercy" Prayers for the mercy of God to bring total conversion of the hearts of the perpetrators - the people who exploit children in all 50 states.
For more on the #pray50for50 effort, go to https://matermedia.kartra.com/page/SOUNDofFREEDOM. For a list of theaters still showing the Sound of Freedom movie, click here.
.......And that is the Big B Files. Click on the comments link below and tell me what you think……I’m Bryan V. Hewing.
