Based on a true story, a federal agent saves a boy from traffickers, but his sister is still captive. He embarks on a dangerous mission, journeys deep into the Colombian jungle, risking his life to free her from a fate worse than death. A film by Alejandro Monteverde, starring Jim Caviezel, Bill Camp, Javier Godino, Mira Sorvino, and Kurt Fuller.

Human Trafficking is a 150 billion dollar-a-year business. The United States in one of the top destinations of human trafficking and is among the largest consumers of child sex. There are more humans trapped in slavery today than any other time in history — including when slavery was legal. Millions of these slaves are children.

In Honduras, Giselle (Yessica Borroto), a former beauty queen, approaches Roberto (José Zúñiga), seeing potential in his daughter Rocío (Cristal Aparicio) and son Miguel (Lucás Ávila). She promises them a glamorous future in the modeling and entertainment industry if he agrees to take them to an audition in Tegucigalpa.

The following morning, Roberto and his children board a bus to Tegucigalpa, where the audition is scheduled to take place. Upon seeing the audition room filled with other children, he is relieved, thinking that the audition must be legitimate. Giselle prohibits him from entering, explaining that parents are not allowed to be present, and instructs him to return and pick up his children at 7pm. However, when he does, he finds the apartment empty, with no signs of his children.

In California, Tim Ballard (Jim Caviezel), a Special Agent for Homeland Security Investigations, arrests people who possess and distribute child pornography. His arduous work takes a heavy toll on his personal life, exacerbated by the realization that despite the numerous arrests, they have yet to rescue a single victim from exploitation, as most are located outside the United States.

Tim adopts a novel approach, pretending to be a pedophile himself to deceive Oshinsky (Kris Avedisian), a recently arrested predator. He promises to assist Oshinsky in escaping the charges, gaining his trust and arranging a meeting with a trafficked child. After arresting Earl Bachman (Gary Basaraba), the man who brings the boy, Tim rescues Miguel.

Miguel describes his capture and transportation to the United States via the US-Mexico border. He implores Tim to rescue his sister, Rocío, whose whereabouts are unknown. Tim threatens to extradite Earl to Colombia in exchange for a description of the woman who sold him the boy.

His investigation leads him to Cartagena, Colombia, where he meets Jorge (Javier Godino), a local police officer who introduces him to Vampiro (Bill Camp), a former cartel accountant who now works to save children from sex trafficking. Intrigued by a report on a child sex club in Thailand, Tim devises an elaborate plan. He recruits Pablo (Eduardo Verástegui), a wealthy civilian he previously collaborated with, to establish a one-of-a-kind member-only club on a private island. Tim intends to use the club as bait to lure child traffickers into supplying him with at least 50 children for the exclusive guests. The sting operation proves successful, resulting in the arrest of all conspirators and the rescue of 54 children. However, Rocío remains missing.

As a father himself, Tim, determined to find Rocío, even when all hope seems lost. He learns that Rocío was sold to an armed rebel group in a remote jungle wilderness controlled by a formidable rebel army. Nobody dares venture into this territory.

The filmmaker’s nuanced approach to the theme of child trafficking is masterful. By withholding explicit depictions of abuse, they invite the audience to confront the reality of this horrific crime in their own minds. The film’s skillful use of realism and ambiguity compels the audience to question the veracity of the events depicted. While it includes actual footage of a raid on an island at the end of the film, the audience is left to wonder how much of the story is fictionalized. This uncertainty sparks curiosity and encourages viewers to seek out more information about child trafficking.

Jim Caviezel delivers a compelling performance, perfectly embodying the complex and determined character he portrays. Javier Navarrete’s exceptional score enhances every scene, elevating the film’s emotional impact with its haunting melodies and ethereal soundscapes.

Tim’s Testimony about the Colombian operation led the United States Congress to pass legislation increasing international cooperation in child trafficking cases. By the time Tim left Colombia, he and the team rescued over 120 victims and arrested more than a dozen traffickers.

Inspired by the life of Tim Ballard, who left the Department of Homeland Security in 2013 and founded Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.), an anti-sex trafficking organization, to work with local police in other countries to catch child sex traffickers. Tim Ballard personally requested that Jim Caviezel portray him because he had been impressed with Caviezel’s performance as Edmond Dantes in The Count of Monte Cristo. Wait, what, not because his performance as John Reese in Person of Interest series? His character is almost essentially the same thing.

God’s children are not for sale.

SOUND of FREEDOM was theatrically released in the United States on 4 July 2023, by Angel Studio. It has become one of the most successful independent films in history, grossing $231 million against a $14.5 million budget.