What’s “Sound of Freedom” About?

The INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY of a former Government Agent, Tim Ballard (Jim Caviezel) turned vigilante who embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue hundreds of children from sex traffickers in Cartagena, Columbia.

God’s Children Are NOT For Sale!!!

This had to have been the most POWERFUL line in this entire film! When Tim Ballard answered the question of why he keeps doing this job day in and day out of rescuing young children from sex traffickers if it pains him so much to see the brutalities that these young children face and the toll that it takes on him; do you know how he answers that question? He does not respond by talking about freedom or setting the kids free to lead normal unencumbered lives. he simply states: “God’s children are NOT for sale.” When he said that …I felt the Holy Spirit and just chills through my body. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. I felt like he was answering the question that was posed to him both directly – and indirectly, simultaneously. How in the world could any human being sell another living human being to someone else and think that is acceptable? To have this film debut on Independence Day; a day where freedom is celebrated …that just made it all the more meaningful and symbolic to me.

Freedom. It Begins and Ends With Miguel and Rocio

How the opening sequences come on for the movie is quite disturbing- but yet, very realistic and that is what the world needs – realism. Once the opening credits are over the film begins with Rocio playing the drums because she thinks that is what the sound of freedom sounds like and she never would have imagined that day her life would change so dramatically and drastically. No one needs to be living in a fairy tale because we all know that sex hustling and trafficking exists and that it is a booming business it happens every day and is very common in the United States versus anywhere else. These two, very young children who are brother and sister are approached by a former Columbian Beauty Queen (casting could have picked a better BEAUTY in my opinion) and tells the father they can get a modeling contract and that was their way in. I was so upset when the father fell for that because as soon as I saw the pamphlet and how the kids were posed in it threw red flags at me! It would to anyone. And just like that …

Freedom is Taken Away

This brother and sister had to endure and go through what millions of children go through and sadly, grow into because they are drugged constantly and forced into heavier alternatives to adjust to that type of lifestyle and the sex traffickers make them feel as if they are so low that they cannot do any better than selling themselves for sex and money; drugs, and working for them. The life they had before they were abducted or stolen is gone and it is nothing but a distant memory to them now. These children have no free agency – no freedom to say and do or feel the way they want; EVERYTHING has been stripped away from them. They are powerless. I could not stand to watch the film. I try to understand why people choose to watch films like this and I can’t. I just cannot place my finger on it. I’m not saying they choose to see it for the brutalities; NO, of course not, but why? That’s a burning question I want to know. I choose to see true story films because it is a part of history and I would like to know and see for myself the outcomes because I am fully aware that not all true story films come with happy endings as well.

Trav’s Conclusions

I’m very grateful that the pain, rape/assaults were NOT shown on the movie screen! I do NOT think that I could have handled that. Just seeing the way that the kids were being lied to, manipulated, slapped, mistreated, etc. This is hard to believe that this happened – but I know that this type of abuse does occur. I am deeply saddened by the events that I had to see in the film, but I do praise the REAL Tim Ballard because his wife supported him in going to Columbia and trying to rescue all of the sex slave children that were abducted, bought, and sold. His wife supported him fully 1,000% to his own beliefs that God’s children were and ARE NOT for sale and he vowed to save them and he did just that. Tim Ballard. A legend. When you think of being free…think of Tim Ballard. Freedom is not just freedom. It’s a gift that should not be taken lightly or for granted.