Sound of Freedom, the movie that packed theaters and reached number one at the box office quickly, is getting a lot of publicity. But the message of the movie is debated. Is it good or bad? Is it positive or negative? Does it help or harm the anti-human trafficking industry? Great questions, but not easily answered, in my opinion.
As with most topics, we can’t peg Sound of Freedom as all good or all bad. I believe those of us in the anti-human trafficking space critiqued the details of the movie more than the average American because of our knowledge on the subject.
Here’s a quick run-down of the plot. A lady poses as a modeling agent and lures a Honduran girl and boy into sex trafficking. This lady dupes the father as well, and he is worried and distraught after they go missing. A special agent for Homeland Security (based on a real person, Tim Ballard) arrests pedophiles. He gets frustrated that he’s not allowed to find the children behind the screen, quits his job, and attempts to rescue the children. The rest of the movie follows him as he baits traffickers and leads operations. He eventually rescues many children, including the boy and girl shown at the beginning of the movie.
Is the message of the movie Sound of Freedom positive or negative? Barb Winters believes both. Here are her reflections and call to action to help end human trafficking. #humantraffickingawareness #soundoffreedom… Share on XHere are a few of my reflections.
- Keep in mind that the movie is based on a true story, but not everything in the movie is true. Sound of Freedom is a Hollywood movie with sensationalized scenes to enhance the movie-going experience. Polaris Project summed it up well. “The film Sound of Freedom is a Hollywood depiction based on one person’s stories. It should be seen as exactly that — not a comprehensive view of human trafficking nor a model of how to best end human trafficking.”
- When talking with 8th– and 9th-graders, I say over and over, “Human trafficking is not like the movie Taken.” Yet, in one of the opening scenes of Sound of Freedom, children are snatched off the streets, presumably to be trafficked. Does this happen in the world? Yes. But not typically, especially not in the states. So a parent who watches this scene might sigh from relief, believing their children aren’t at risk. Oh, that’s how this takes place. Over there. Somewhere.
- I’ve seen the movie twice and really tried to pay attention to whether or not they link pornography to human trafficking. The movie shows a pedophile looking at children on a computer screen (we don’t actually see the photos), portraying him as creepy. My co-worker said, “Look at that bad haircut.” We also are introduced to other “pedophiles,” but I don’t remember the word pornography in the movie. It’s semantics, but as someone who talks about the link between porn and human trafficking, I had hoped the relationship between the two would be clear. I wanted to stand up at the end of the movie and tell the audience, “If those who watch pornography stopped, the sex trafficking industry would no longer exist.”
- The ending scene shows the rescued girl singing and smiling, grateful to be home, seemingly back to normal. I couldn’t rejoice, as I know that a girl who has been through all she had been would have a long, uphill battle to healing and wholeness. I realize it’s a movie, and we want to have feel-good emotions at the end of movies. However, those rescued out of trafficking do not have nice, tidy lives within hours of escaping. Many will suffer the consequences for years and be victimized again.
- I’m grateful the movie depicted the father of the boy and girl as loving and caring, willing to do whatever it took to find his children. He was deceived alongside his children. Not all children lured into trafficking have uncaring parents. Many predators, acting as friends, groom and charm parents into a false sense of trust. Then they turn on them and use their children.
- In a mic drop moment of the movie, Tim Ballard asks why he’s doing what he’s doing. He states, “God’s children are not for sale.” Boom! This should motivate each of us to work against human trafficking.
- I found the call to action at the end of the movie lacking. I’ll leave it at that. But if you’re wondering what you can do to help end human trafficking, here are some suggestions:
Educate yourself. Know the myths and facts of human trafficking. Hopeful Mom has posts about trafficking and I’ve talked about it on podcasts.
Talk. Most predators groom their targets, luring them and tricking them into trafficking, often through social media. Please make the children within your influence aware of these dangers.
Stop watching pornography. Pornography is harmful on so many levels, but be aware that pornography fuels human trafficking, and human trafficking fuels pornography.
Support an anti-human trafficking organization. There are many out there. Our church is sponsoring a Freedom Sunday in September to support International Justice Mission. In October, A21 sponsors its Walk for Freedom. I will take part in the one near me. Find one near you. Many local non-profits help those who have been trafficked, so find a local place you can support. There are several non-profits doing prevention work, also. E3 Family Solutions, my employer, is located in central Florida and does great work informing students and parents about the dangers of human trafficking.
Read Sexpectations: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Healthy Relationships. Yes, a shameless plug. Maintaining a healthy relationship with the youth in your lives may keep them from being lured into a trafficking situation.
To get help if you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking:
- Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline: at 1-888-373-7888
- Or Text “Help” to 233733 (BeFree)
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About the author
Barb Winters is the author of Sexpectations: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Healthy Relationships and founder of Hopeful Mom. She’s a certified mental health coach and offers one-on-one consultations for parents. For more about Barb, click "About" in the menu.
Thank you for this, especially the helpful hints. I saw the movie and it impacted me greatly.
Thank you for reading. I’m grateful the steps of action are helpful. It takes all of us working together to make an impact, but I’m confident we can do it.