«My film made $180 million at the box office, but I don't make a single dollar»

The Sound of Freedom has been criticized for its portrayal of child trafficking.

Director Alejandro Monteverde reacted to the mega-surprise success quite unexpectedly. from his film Sounds of Freedom. «I just went into hiding,» he says.

The child trafficking thriller only cost $15 million and has grossed more than $180 million to date, at times outperforming Mission: Impossible and Indiana Jones at the box office. «. Not the success itself forced Monteverde to hide, but the controversy that flared up around him. A few days after the release in the United States — on July 4, the most important day in America — «The Sound of Freedom» became a weapon in the culture war.

The film tells the (sort of) true story of anti-trafficking activist Tim Ballard and the Rambo-esque mission to save child sex slaves. Liberal critics have linked the film to the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory and called it propaganda, while right-wing commentators have criticized the left for trying to cover up the film's overly heated and overly explicit truth («regular Awakened Nazis,» according to the far-right website Breitbart). Donald Trump aired it, and Fox News dubbed it «the movie the media tried to kill». «They're scared,» lead actor Jim Caviezel said of the supposedly uptight mainstream press. «Trembling in boots.»

The reaction was so strong that Monteverde retreated. “At first my instinct was to hide,” says the 46-year-old director. “How can I even discuss this?”

He acknowledges that there is a conflict: the huge success of the film and the controversy it caused. “I'm not a big fan of controversy,” he says. “Especially in this movie, because it wasn’t necessary… It started being labeled with all sorts of crazy conspiracy theories.” Although he also quite rightly admits that Sound of Freedom — love it or hate it — has become a «phenomenon». The film, distributed by Mormon studio Angel Studios, uses a «pay it forward» marketing campaign to encourage fans to buy tickets for people who can't afford to go to the movies.

The movie is not really about the QAnon conspiracy theory, which suggests that a cabal of leftist/Satanist elite pedophiles is ruling the world and collecting the blood of children. But detractors, including The Guardian, called the film «QAnon next door» because of its plot about a white Christian savior and a shady network that caters to wealthy American pedophiles. Not to mention the presence of Caviezel, a supporter of the ideas of QAnon.

The sound of freedom has been the subject of conspiracy theories of its own that have come from both ends of the political spectrum: stories of movie theaters trying to prevent people from seeing the film; and attempts to falsely inflate audience numbers. «Both sides are helping,» says Monteverde.

The Sound of Freedom is already in UK cinemas. Does Monteverde expect the same reaction here? “I hope not,” he says.

Monteverde was inspired by a documentary about child trafficking. “This project kind of found me,” he says, and describes the film as “a calling.” It started out as outright fiction, but producer Eduardo Verastegui — a member of Donald Trump's Advisory Committee on Latin American Prosperity — suggested that it be about Tim Ballard. Ballard was a Homeland Security agent for over a decade (although this cannot be confirmed for security reasons) and founder of Operation Underground Railroad, an anti-trafficking organization. OUR takes on the responsibility of saving thousands of women and children in a series of daring rescue missions. Both Ballard and OUR have been at the center of much controversy since the film's inception, including reports of exaggerated stories of heroism.

It was Ballard who suggested Jim Caviezel for the role of… well, Ballard. Caviezel — best known for playing Jesus in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ — is a bizarre figure who spewed baseless bullshit at QAnon conferences and claimed to have given his career to Christ (JC obviously chooses his roles).

Sound of Freedom has been criticized for embellishing the truth — playing OUR's supposedly embellished adventures. In the film, Ballard travels to Colombia to save his brother and sister from sexual slavery. He first opens a fake sex hotel and then goes on a solo mission in the jungle. “When making a biopic, you have to get creative license – you have to – otherwise you can’t make the film,” says Monteverde. Angel Studios has published a blog that breaks down truth and fiction.

Like reaction, The Sound of Freedom is a film of contradictory elements. It transitions into a made-for-TV sincerity, but it has thrilling moments—like the three-star thriller version of those Pedophile Hunter videos that lurk in the dark corners of YouTube. Elsewhere, The Sound of Freedom is really hard to watch. Monteverde's mission was to make the subject acceptable. “I want it to be operatic,” he says. «I don't want it to be true.»

Speaking via Zoom, Monteverde speaks English with a charming accent. This is the day after the Mexican premiere. “The interviews just went crazy,” he says. — Since eight in the morning in a row. He is not embarrassed by questions about the problematic furor. He immediately realized that this was a disturbing topic. «My wife said, 'Don't ruin dinner by telling people what you're working on — don't ruin the party!'» There was some nervousness in that. If the movie fails, his career could go along with it. “My calling was stronger than my fear,” he says.

Monteverde was also warned against making a film about child sex slavery, which is difficult to sell in multiplexes. «We've been told many times that this film is hard to sell,» he says. «That's why the movie was orphaned for four years… no one believed it would have an audience.» The Sound of Freedom was filmed in 2018 and completed post-production in 2019. It was intended to be distributed by 20th Century Fox, but the merger between Fox and Disney returned the rights to the filmmakers. It languished for four years until Angel Studios, a religious studio and video-on-demand service, began distributing it earlier this year. “I knew it would see the light of day,” says Monteverde. «I knew it with all my heart.»

Freedom Sound star Jim Caviezel Photo: Getty

Angel Studios — Run by brothers Jordan, Neil, Jeffrey and Daniel Harmon, distribution money was raised through crowdfunding. About 7,000 people invested various amounts, each holding a small stake. Some investors put up as little as $10.

With the distribution of Angel Studios and Caviezel's presence, Sound of Freedom has been welcomed by Christian conservatives. Angel Studios presented it as «the fight to end child trafficking». Tim Ballard is a Mormon, and there are martial-holy phrases in the film: «God's children are not for sale.»

Monteverde's previous films have included religious elements (although he dislikes the label). Producer Verastegui apparently told Pope Francis himself about the project (“Could you pray for the people?” Verastegui asked His Holiness). But Monteverde insists that The Sound of Freedom was not created with a Christian attitude. “No, definitely not the intention,” he says. “That's another amazing thing [in this controversy]. It was not made for religious people. It is made for everyone.”

The film, according to Monteverde, was «pasted too quickly». He believes that the criticism — such as the nickname «QAnon next door» — was a reaction to the box office surprise. “I think they wanted to discredit the film,” he says. “At first it really hurt me.”

Monteverde argues that with nearly $200 million in grosses, the film certainly went beyond conservative or far-right audiences. Indeed, a poll, Newsweek reported last month, showed him to be «surprisingly popular among Democrats.» The film currently has an audience rating of 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Some of the success can be attributed to an effective marketing gimmick. While moviegoers are now forced to stay on stage after the credits—usually a superhero cameo—The Sound of Freedom offers an alternative post-credits scene: Caviezel, out of character, pleads with viewers to spread the word and help raise awareness. Caviezel admits they can't compete with the big studios' marketing budget, so he presents a QR code and encourages viewers to buy more tickets and spread the word — a so-called «pay it forward» scheme. Was it Monteverde's idea?

«No, it's definitely not my idea,» he says. “This film is forgotten, so I will always be very grateful to the Harmon brothers and Angel Studios. They believed in the film and are responsible for thinking outside the box. When they approached me and said they were going to do that post-credits scene, I obviously objected. But they told me, please trust them… “The only way this film can succeed is to create a very strong word of mouth and get people involved.” They believed it.”

Monteverde realized that word of mouth was working when he received a message from a friend recommending that he go see a short movie called Freedom Sounds. The sender had no idea that he was actually in charge of this. “It was a movement, an event,” says Monteverde. «People felt the urge to recommend this film.»

On the back of its success, Monteverde answered numerous questions about QAnon — something he knew nothing about when the film began (the film was written in 2016; QAnon didn't become widely released until 2018). Fox News claims it's the left-wing media that continues to bleat about the QAnon connection, though Caviezel invited the association, speaking in friendly QAnon terms, promoting the film and echoing some particularly bizarre ideas. In an interview with President Donald Trump's former strategist Steve Bannon, Caviezel spoke about adrenochrome, a chemical compound the conspirators say is harvested from children's blood by elite pedophiles. Caviezel told Bannon it was an «elite drug» with «mystical properties that make you look younger.»

Freedom Sound hero Timothy Ballard (left) with Donald Trump in 2019 Photo: AP

Monteverde claims that didn't know anything about QAnon. His reaction was, «Wow, that sounds really funny.» He also laughs at the story that the film was financed by QAnon true believers. But isn't it a problem when Caviezel pitches baseless ideas to QAnon while promoting a movie?

«I hired him,» says Monteverde, alluding to Caviezel's comments. “What [the actors] do personally after the end of the movie is out of my control. I can't control it. And I don't want to control it, because right now it's a social problem: we want to control each other and what other people think. Yes, [Cavizel] has his own views.”

Monteverde avoided all this. «The minute I saw it become political… it's not that I distanced myself from [Caviezel], I distanced myself from everyone.»

Mike Rothschild, conspiracy culture expert and author of The Storm Above Us, QAnon, commented on the film. «He's being sold to QAnon believers, he's accepted by that community, and his lead actor is a huge part of the QAnon community,» Rothschild told NPR. He added: “The believers are interested in this film because they see it as a way to fight back both the villains behind the alleged human trafficking and the liberal machine that protects them. They have no problem simultaneously hating Hollywood and supporting it through ticket sales.”

The film has been defended, promoted and showcased by many influential right-wing voices: Sean Hannity, Jordan Peterson, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, Ben Shapiro, Mel Gibson and, most importantly, Donald Trump, who called it a «national sensation». Trump showed it off at his golf club in New Jersey.

But Monteverde avoids political endorsements — and he never attends screenings with political figures. “For me, politics divides,” he says. «Unfortunately, any political support will always hurt [the film].» He adds, “I love creating art that creates dialogue. I enjoy creating art and films that ask questions. I don't have answers. I'm really looking for answers.»

Disney is garbage. Boycott. Close it. It would be a great day. #Disney #satanic #boycottdisney #soundoffreedom pic.twitter.com/HtWaOrSyWn

— Clarice Smith (@SmythClarice), August 22, 2023

A few years ago, he retired from social networks. He doesn't go through the most toxic discussions around his movie and doesn't interact with any of the more truthful fans. A quick look at Twitter shows just how crazy and scary this is. Twitter right winger Matt Wallace warned his 1.2 million followers that Netflix and Amazon (both turned down the film) «don't want the truth about pedowwood out.» There are reports of real victims of human trafficking being harassed by fans of the film.

The film is now subject to various conspiracy theories. Some moviegoers claim that the theaters are almost sold out, but the seats are empty, suggesting that pay-in-advance tickets are being bought for non-existent viewers. Other social media users reported that AMC theaters tried to drive away audiences by turning off the air conditioner or turning the volume down to prevent people from watching his film (the AMC CEO stepped in to deny these claims). Another widely circulated story is that Amazon and Netflix «banned» the film. What they don't have, they just passed it on. Monteverde laughs at the myths generated by the film.

«Once you build a narrative based on conspiracy, you create a conspiratorial language,» says Monteverde. “Then you respond with a conspiracy theory. Do you really think that the cinema will boycott the film?”

In the years since the film was made, Tim Ballard and OUR have run into controversy. In 2021, a Vice investigation found that OUR had exaggerated its efforts, used amateurish methods, and may even have created more demand for sex trafficking by going undercover and offering money to underage victims. Federal agencies were also investigating the organization's activities to determine whether it misled donors and whether OUR employees engaged in sexual acts with victims of human trafficking. The investigation was terminated. Questions were also asked about the network of Ballard-related organizations surrounding OUR and whether Ballard monetized his non-profit rescue operation. In 2020, Donald Trump appointed Ballard to co-chair his Public-Private Partnerships Advisory Board to End Trafficking in Persons. In July, Vice reported—shortly after Sounds of Freedom hit theaters—that Ballard had quietly left Operation Underground Railroad.

“It all came to light after I made the film,” says Monteverde. «It was all out of my control.»

Monteverde was stunned by the success of Sound of Freedom.

However, The Sound of Freedom has been criticized by experts and anti-trafficking groups for inaccurate descriptions of human trafficking. Suamhirs Piraino-Guzman of the United Nations Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings and Modern Slavery said the film is «full of speculation and a dangerous depiction of what human trafficking is.»

«I'm saying I'm not an expert on human trafficking, I am a director,” Monteverde says at one point in our conversation. He also says, “For me, this film was not about facts. It was always about suggesting a topic. Let's talk about it. Let's create a public conversation about child abuse.”

The buzz around the Sound of Freedom is almost deafening. Does Monteverde regret his success? Controversy overshadowed this message? “It overshadows the movie before you see it – 100 percent,” he says. «It spoils him.» But he's sure that once you see the film, you'll understand.

Monteverde missed out on success in one respect. «I don't make a dollar,» he says. Even with a catch of 180 million dollars. When the film was shelved, he sold his credits to get the necessary funds. “I sold my points for next to nothing—very, very little,” he says. “I hope one day I get a bonus.”

The Sound of Freedom is now in theaters