US Southern Command Cancels Screenings of 'Sound of Freedom' for Military Members

The military’s U.S. Southern Command has canceled plans to screen “Sound of Freedom” after previously telling military families they would have the opportunity to watch the film about the scourge of human trafficking.

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Before the plans were scrapped, the Angel Studios-backed movie was set to air for free Aug. 28 and Oct. 19 at the SOUTHCOM headquarters as part of its “mission to promote respect for human rights and combating trafficking in persons in Central and South America and the Caribbean,” according to Military Times.

The movie, as CBN’s Faithwire has reported, chronicles the story of former U.S. Homeland Security agent Tim Ballard, who left his government post to rescue children from the international world of sex trafficking.

In mid-August, the movie, starring Jim Caviezel as Ballard, officially outperformed both “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” making it a surprise summer blockbuster at the box office.

When Military Times reached out to SOUTHCOM, the agency explained the change was due to copyright concerns.

“Both showings are postponed until further notice,” the military agency stated. “Specific Department of Defense regulatory procedures for screening intellectual property are in place to prevent the appearance of copyright infringement

The statement went on to express apologies for any “inconvenience” and noted, “[T]he film is currently available to view at local theaters, and personnel and their families who would like to see the film are encouraged to do so.”

“The movie’s central theme and its connection to SOUTHCOM’s AOR and our Human Rights Office (HRO) Combatting Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) program are inescapable and will serve to raise awareness of the prevalence of trafficking in human persons and sexual abuse and exploitation within our area of responsibility,” it added.

While many media organizations have dismissed “Sound of Freedom” as “QAnon-adjacent,” it does not appear on the surface that politics played a role in SOUTHCOM’s decision to cancel the screenings.

SOUTHCOM spokesman Jose Ruiz initially told Military Times the “subject of the movie is something that’s of great concern to the command, in that it follows as part of its mission of countering transnational criminal organizations.

“Because of the way these transnational criminal organizations exploit migrants — the hopes of migrants — in ways that end up being serious violations to their human rights, and unfortunately in some cases lead to the deaths of the migrants,” he said.

CBN’s Faithwire has reached out to Angel Studios for a statement