Sound of Freedom draws strong following

The controversial movie, Sound of Freedom, starring Jim Caviezel, is a faith-based movie inspired by true events that seek to expose the horrors of child sex trafficking.
The film has been shown in many theatres around the country as well as here in Nebraska. It has been a hot topic of many conversations by those who have seen it and those wanting to see it.
The movie was released on July 4 with questionable results, but it took everyone by surprise when it beat other releases by a broad margin.
The first week, it grossed $14,242,063 in sales. Weeks two and three, it did the unusual by increasing even more in sales each of those weeks. It has now gone well over $100 million to date.
Eric Dittler, projectionist for the Imperial Theatre, commented that most movies will decrease the second week in theatres. He noted that it was surprisingly interesting that this movie actually increased in sales the second and third week, and, though it has now decreased some in sales, it’s still going strong.
“We were not going to be able to book the movie for a weekend due to an extended scheduling problem, but people were texting me, messaging me and stopping me on the street asking about this movie,” Dittler said.
“If it wasn’t for the Rotary Club, we would have had a hard time getting it here for the community to watch,” he continued.
The Rotary Club sponsored the movie, covering the cost of the seats for a free showing last Thursday evening. All 130 seats were sold out with people being turned away.
Because of the strong response to the film, it was announced online there would be another showing Sunday afternoon at regular admission fees. Rotary Club members volunteered to man the concession stand. Attendance was not a sell out this time, but it was still a strong turnout, Dittler said.
“There weren’t any really young children in attendance, but there were some teenagers both showings—which was good for that age to see. The movie was rated PG13, and I think that rating was well-earned,” he said.
Importance of awareness
The local Rotary Club’s Social Media Chair is held by Melisa Owens of Imperial. Owens said they (Rotary Club members) felt it was important to bring the movie to the community for people to see. She also expounded on the fact that human trafficking is one of Rotary International’s focuses. The organization is intensely invested in helping people become aware of this horrific form of slavery, and the exploitation of innocent young children.
“We felt, as an organization, that it was important that the film was shown at our local theatre. It wasn’t about packing the theatre, it was totally about awareness of what is happening all around us,” Owens said.
Owens attended the film and said it was heart-wrenching and hard to fathom that kind of evil.
“As people exited the movie, there was a lot of sadness, teary eyes and crying people,” she said.
Tricia Moreno attended the film with her mom and adult daughter. She said she was glad young children were not in attendance.
“I think this movie would have been confusing and over their head for young children. I know some people commented they wanted to watch it first and then educate their children themselves on the dangers,” said Moreno.
She thought it was a good message that everyone needs to watch because it hits close to home.
The two most important things Moreno said she got from the film was staying aware of activity around you and educating our children to the dangers that can exist.
“Imperial is a small community which tends to give people a false sense of security when Nebraska is actually a hotspot—close to the interstate. These criminals are clever and dangerous,” Moreno said.
She said one of the pieces of information she got from the movie was to make a point of knowing your surroundings. Notice things you don’t normally think about, especially being in a small community.
At the beginning of the movie there were some clips of actual abductions caught on film, showing different ways that children are taken.

“It was frightening and hard to watch, but a necessary message—be aware,” she added.
Troy and Mercedes Hauxwell and their three teenagers attended the movie together.
“While watching the movie, I was reminded of something that happened on a trip to Minnesota. I saw a little girl with two men who took turns holding onto her hand. While I watched her, the thing that felt off to me was she wasn’t playing, talking or moving at all. She was very silent and kept looking down at the ground,” Mercedes said.
The little girl’s behavior bothered her so much, she called the police, explaining her concerns, giving them the license plate number and the road they were traveling on.
She then talked to their children about looking at their surroundings to be aware if something felt wrong. The movie helped reinforce that caution.
“It was a very eye-opening film. We don’t always get all that exposure to what’s happening around the country living in a rural area,” she said.
“We’re not out there to be aware of the level of evil that is happening, and I want our kids to become aware if someone is needing help—stand up and do what’s right,” she added.
Troy said he was thankful for the Rotary Club bringing it to town.
“The show was important for my family to see, and for me, especially with my background in education. It scares me but makes me more awareness. I felt a series of emotions and was upset that the kids are just treated as property, and no remorse was shown for what their parents might be going through,” he said.
He mentioned it was also sad that this movie sat on a shelf for five years, rejected by several studios before Angel Studios bought it and brought it to the big screen.
Hauxwell’s 15-year-old son, Haven, had some feelings about the movie he wanted to express. He said he was surprised about all that’s happening.
“It woke me up.”
Haven said the movie showed him some messed up things people need to be aware of.
“I will be more aware in places I’m in,” he said. “I felt angry at how this happens in the world, and how people can let it happen.”
Each of these people expressed the hope everyone will try to see this film if they can.
There’s still opportunities to watch it nearby. It will be showing this weekend at Chateau Theatre in Wauneta, Prairie Theatre in Ogallala and Peerless Theatre in Holyoke, Colorado. Check Facebook pages for times.
“I’m hoping more people will go see this film,” said Troy.