THE ART

This is a painting I did of Rocío and Tim Ballard from the 2023 film Sound of Freedom. Here Tim Ballard hugs Rocío tightly all while surrounded by the darkness of the rainforest. Unlike my previous artworks where I relied greatly on reference images, a lot of this was done from imagination as I wanted to help develop my creative thinking. I also wanted a more “artistic” feel, something with more meaning than just a pretty image, so I tried to go for a more emotional tone here. I remember watching this film when it came out, in fact BEFORE it even came out. As this was such a popular film the movie theatres was showing it before the release date. I’ve never seen such a massive audience before and when the film ended there was a group prayer and tons of people were crying. Such is the power of this film.

THE FILM

Sound of Freedom is based on a true story and centers on the unfortunate issue of human trafficking and particularly child sex trafficking. The protagonist, Tim Ballard, is an agent who has never been able to actually rescue a child, an emotional burden that haunts him deeply. This personal failure becomes the driving force behind his relentless pursuit of justice. Disillusioned with the limitations of his official role, Ballard makes a huge decision to leave his job and go undercover in order to fight child trafficking on his own terms.

One of the most pivotal moments in the film is the rescue of a young boy named Miguel. Grateful for his freedom, Miguel shares with Ballard the heartbreaking news that his sister, Rocío, is still being held by traffickers. Before they part ways, Miguel gives Ballard a cherished St. Timothy necklace, originally a gift from Rocío to her brother, symbolizing both the trauma of their separation and the hope of reunion. This moment becomes deeply personal for Ballard, who vows to find Rocío and bring her home. Eventually, Ballard discovers that Rocío is enslaved deep in the Amazon rainforest, held captive by a brutal rebel faction. Determined to save her, he undertakes a dangerous undercover mission, posing as an international doctor delivering vaccines. The closer he gets to finding Rocío, the greater the danger, and the more suspenseful the story becomes.

Without giving too much away, the final scenes of the film are gripping and emotionally intense. You’re left on edge, unsure whether the mission will succeed or not. It’s suspenseful, heart-wrenching, and filled with high stakes. At the very end of the film, actor Jim Caviezel, who portrays Tim Ballard, addresses the audience directly. He speaks about the global crisis of child sex trafficking and how there are more people trafficking in our time than during the Atlantic Slave Trade. He urges viewers to help raise recognition of this tragic issue. His words remind us that Sound of Freedom isn’t just entertainment, it’s also about awareness. Tim Ballard’s journey is both heartbreaking and inspiring. Despite overwhelming obstacles and near-impossible odds, he refuses to give up. The weight of his past failures doesn’t paralyze him, it pushes him forward. The film doesn’t shy away from portraying the brutal realities of trafficking. The fear, the violence, and the lasting scars inflicted on its victims. At the same time, it highlights the extraordinary courage of those who dedicate their lives to fighting for the voiceless and forgotten.

Sound of Freedom is by far the greatest film of the century. Not just for its gripping story and emotional power, but for the moral courage it took to make it. Director Alejandro Monteverde, the production team, and Angel Studios risked telling a story many avoid. It exposes the hidden horrors of child sex trafficking, a crisis growing in silence, and forces viewers to face the truth. The recognition it brings to victims and their rescuers is its greatest achievement. This film is awareness, justice, and a call to action. It also reveals that trafficking is part of a wider system of exploitation. The adult entertainment industry, though technically legal in many places, is largely unregulated and often connected to trafficking networks. The normalization of pornographic content, the erosion of human dignity, and the commodification of human bodies & sexuality are all part of the same system that allows abuse to flourish in the shadows.

Sound of Freedom isn’t simply another movie, it’s something that sticks with you. It shines a light on a terrible reality that too many people don’t want to face, but it also gives hope. The enslavement and degradation of human lives still occurs to this day, and this film makes it clear. The film honors the courage of people like Tim Ballard who go out there directly to help out, but it also pushes us to think about the bigger picture, how our culture and systems sometimes let this happen. Watching Sound of Freedom is a call to wake up and think about the bigger picture. The real impact of this film won’t just be measured by box office numbers, but by the lives it helps change.