SOUND OF FREEDOM Director Addresses Movie’s ‘Heartbreaking’ Politicization
By Movieguide® Contributor
SOUND OF FREEDOM creator and director Alejandro Monteverde recently went on a press tour to lament the politicization of his movie and debunk its supposed ties to conspiracy theories.
“The movie has become a circus on the political spectrum,” Monteverde told USA Today.
While the movie takes no overt political stance, it was quickly attributed to right-wing politics and attacked by numerous liberal news sources.
“This is all wrong. That’s not true. It was heartbreaking when I saw all this polemic and all this controversy going on,” Monteverde told Variety, explaining his response to the polarized backlash. “My instinct was to run. I want[ed] to hide. I [didn’t] want to give any more interviews.”
Monteverde added that SOUND OF FREEDOM’s label as “conservative media” by the press was frustrating because he knew it would deter many Americans from viewing the movie or receiving its message.
“Child trafficking is not a conservative or a liberal issue. It is a fundamental human rights issue, one that strikes at our very core as human beings,” he wrote in an article for The Hollywood Reporter.
“If there’s one issues that can unite everyone, it’s ending child trafficking. We still believe that,” Monteverde continued.
Much of the criticism came from accusations that the movie propagated QAnon conspiracy theories.
These accusations were shocking and frustrating for Monteverde, who created the movie years before the conspiracy theories appeared in culture.
“The origin [of the movie] has been avoided, purposely or accidentally, in the media,” he said. “The origin will answer a lot of these misconceptions of the film.”
Monteverde started work on the movie in 2015 after watching a network news special on child trafficking. Unable to sleep that night because he was distressed by the topic, his wife encouraged him to create a movie to help combat the evil.
“At that time, the movie was called THE MOGUL, and it was purely fictionalized,” he explained.
Shortly after he began researching, Monteverde met Tim Ballard and was captivated by his story and how he gave up his career as a special agent to combat the child sex trade.
Monteverde notes that the entire creation and development of the story occurred in 2015 – a full two years before conspiracies like QAnon emerged. Monteverde had only learned of QAnon a few years ago, long after the movie was filmed.
“The first time I heard any conspiracy theories like this was a year-and-a-half ago,” he explained. “I was like, ‘Wow, what is this?’ I never thought in a million years that these two worlds would come together because that has nothing to do with our movie.”
Despite the accusations and alleged ties to these theories, Monteverde hopes his movie will continue to impact the world despite the politicization and controversies surrounding it.
The movie recently began releasing in overseas markets as it continues to spread awareness about the prevalence of child sex trafficking.
Movieguide® previously reported:
Angel Studios has announced that SOUND OF FREEDOM will soon hit theaters internationally, expanding to a total of 23 countries.
“Since SOUND OF FREEDOM launched in the U.S., demand has been building around the world in dozens of regions and languages,” Jared Geesey, Angel Studios’ vice president of global distribution, said. “Child trafficking is a global issue, and we hope to build on the incredible momentum here in the States and share the film’s powerful message worldwide.”
The incredible success that the movie has found in the States has allowed it to expand into the global market.
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