Marco Rubio sent a letter to General Laura Richardson on Wednesday in which he requested the rescheduling "without delay" of the two suspended screenings of the film "Sound of Freedom" at the headquarters of the Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). The senator from Florida said he was "alarmed" after learning of the cancelation of the two screenings of the film at the military headquarters scheduled for Aug. 28 and Oct. 19.
The "Sound of Freedom" screening was canceled at the Doral, Fla., base theoretically to "prevent the appearance of copyright infringement." In addition, the military explained in an email obtained by Military Times that "the 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." Both arguments were refuted by the Republican senator in his letter. First, Rubio said, "the producers and distributors of ‘Sound of Freedom’ have consented."
Angel Studios approved the screenings of 'Sound of Freedom'
With this, the senator assured that Angel Studios, the producer behind the cinematographic thriller, had approved the screenings at the military base and, therefore, the problem was solved. In addition, the company also offered to send a representative to Southern Command who could resolve any doubts that arose among the public:
Since the concern which led to the cancellation has now been addressed, I urge you to rectify this situation and ensure that the screenings of the film be rescheduled without delay,
In response to the second reason SOUTHCOM provided for suspending the screening of "Sound of Freedom," Rubio said that it is not the first time that a film available in local theaters has been screened at the headquarters and, therefore, it is not a valid justification to cancel the showing:
As an example, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service offered advanced screenings of ‘Elvis’ at more than 20 U.S. Air Force and Army bases last year. This is not a novel concept — and one in which DOD has a long history of supporting such events for service members and their families.
