Have you heard about the movie Sound of Freedom?
The movie is fictional, but it’s based on a true incident involving Homeland Security Agent, Tim Ballard, who risks his career and his safety to rescue a brother and sister who have been abducted into the sex trade. Ballard works with a former drug lord named Vampiro and a Colombian policeman to capture and arrest kingpins in the sex trade and save dozens of children. Jim Caviezel stars as agent Tim Ballard.
Sound of Freedom is produced by Angel Studios to bring to light the pervasive problem of the sex trade and igniting the desire to fight against it.
An independent film does not have the kind of budget for publicity that the bigger studios have. But Sound of Freedom has surprised the film industry with its success. From the time it opened on July 4, 2023, to the end of July, it grossed 173 million dollars.
To help encourage more people to see this gritty film about a topic that’s “too ugly for polite conversation,” as Caviezel states at the end of the movie, Angel Studios developed a “Pay It Forward” campaign. At the end of the film, viewers are encouraged to buy tickets for those who may not otherwise be able to afford to see it. Angel Studios hoped that two million tickets would be sold so more people would be aware of the problem.
More than ten million tickets were purchased.
The reality of Sound of Freedom
Some critics have noted that contrary to the storyline of The Sound of Freedom, most children are sold into the sex trade not by strangers, but by people they know. They claim that the movie, therefore, is presenting inaccurate information.
At Casa de Sueños, we fight against the sex trade every day. We don’t care how children are sold into it. Often, someone they know coerces them, but sometimes they are abducted or tricked by strangers.
It doesn’t matter to us how it happens.
Our job is to heal them. Help them. Hold them.
The movie Sound of Freedom opens our eyes to the very real problem that has inflicted so much pain on the children who come to Casa de Sueños.
Here are five quotes from Sound of Freedom that echo the mission of Casa de Sueños.
Quote #1 from The Sound of Freedom: Tim Ballard’s statement
Casa de Sueños believes that God has a purpose for each person. Our goal is to help people overcome their pasts and live Christian lives according to God’s purpose.
Many of our young girls have been sold into the sex trade. But we know that
“God’s children are not for sale!”
Quote #2: Vampiro’s transformation
One of the main characters in the film, Sound of Freedom, is Vampiro. He’s a former drug cartel kingpin who has had a total turnaround. Vampiro no longer abuses young girls. He no longer serves as a leader of the cartel. Instead, Vampiro uses his wealth to buy girls back OUT of sex slavery and get them to safety.
Vampiro’s epiphany, the moment of conversion when he began to care about the young girls he was having sex with, came when he realized that the girl he thought was in her twenties was much, much younger. Her pink toenails painted with cat faces was the trigger:
“It was like I was granted a glimpse into her soul, and all I could see was sadness.”
Quote #3: Vampiro’s realization is the same as the founder of Casa de Sueños
In the conversation where Vampiro tells Tim Ballard what caused him to start fighting against the sex trade instead of participating in it, he says,
“When God tells you what to do, you cannot hesitate.”
Lorena Sanchez, the founder of Casa de Sueños, felt the same. Having grown up in the slums and seen all kinds of degradation, she felt God call her. She quit her position as an accountant and developed Casa de Sueños to help the poor children of Medellin because “when God tells you what to do, you cannot hesitate.”
Quote #4: Two alternate perspectives from Jim Caviezel at the end of The Sound of Freedom
Three minutes after the film ends, there’s a special message from Jim Caviezel. He looks directly at the audience and explains that the purpose of Angel Studios is to make people aware of the sex trade so that they can fight against it.
His words echo the mission of Casa de Sueños:
“Living in fear isn’t how we solve this problem. It’s living in hope. It’s believing that we can make a difference – because we can.”
Quote #5: Heroes, children, and storytellers
In Caviezel’s closing message to the audience, he reminds us of the Steve Jobs quote, “The most powerful people in the world are the storytellers.”
We must hear the stories, no matter how painful, to know how to help. Caviezel notes,
“The true heroes are the children.”
They are the ones who have suffered, struggled, and survived against all odds. They are the ones we fight for.
Casa de Sueños believes that these children ARE heroes. That’s why we tell their stories, not of their tragic experiences, but of their hopeful futures. The world needs to hear their stories of overcoming obstacles and rebuilding their lives – against all odds.
We tell their stories so that other children can have hope.
The children of Casa de Sueños are heroes who can show the world what “Sound of Freedom” looks like in real life. All they need is your help.
If you have seen Sound of Freedom, know this: Casa de Sueños is fighting the same battle. You can join against the devastating effects of the sex trade, too.
Support their stories and help us write happy endings for so many troubled beginnings.
Donate to Casa de Sueños.
These kids need your help.