Southern Command canceled two planned screenings of "Sound of Freedom" at its headquarters in Doral, Fla. The information was confirmed by The Hill.
US Southern Command cancels two showings of "Sound of Freedom" https://t.co/jRJrxIkJoF pic.twitter.com/ALZBZc3xoW
— The Hill (@thehill) September 6, 2023
Free screenings were planned for Aug. 28 and Oct. 19. They were canceled after the Military Times questioned the event: "SOUTHCOM nixed the event, explaining in an email to the base that the free screenings were canceled until further notice in order to 'prevent the appearance of copyright infringement.' But the emailed missive, obtained by Military Times, added 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.'"
'The subject of the movie is something that’s of great concern to the command'
Similarly SOUTHCOM spokesman Jose Ruiz explained to the Military Times that the central theme of the film, the fight against human trafficking, is related to the responsibility and mission of the command.
"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," Ruiz said. "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," Ruiz said.
Since its release, "Sound of Freedom" has been a resounding success. At the same time, however, it has suffered scrutiny from the radical left that is not focused on the level of production, script, cinematography, soundtrack or performance of the actors. On the contrary, the criticism is based on exaggerated and dubious theories such as its alleged relation to QAnon. The movie began filming in 2018, long before those same theories became popular on the internet.
Voz Media's review of the film by Eduardo Verástegui concluded that, far from being full of far-right propaganda or conspiracy theories like some mainstream media outlets say, the film delves into the deep world of child trafficking to bluntly show how this criminal industry produces billions of dollars annually while enslaving and destroying families around the world.
