The film ‘Sound Of Freedom’ was promoted as based on true events, however, much of it appears to be a product of fiction.
Can the movies “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” to dominate 2023, however, the “Sound of Freedom” is just as big a success, having grossed over $250 million and becoming the ninth biggest box-office hit in the US for the year 2023.
In the domestic market, the film “Sound Of Freedom” arrived on January 18 and it seems that within two weeks it has managed to arouse the interest of the Greek public.
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The case
At the center of the film “Sound Of Freedom” is the Tim Ballardfounder of the non-profit anti-trafficking organization Operation Underground Railroad.
Tim works for Homeland Security Investigations and ends up traveling around the world in order to rescue the little sister of a boy who was a victim of white flesh trafficking.
The objections to the connection of the film with the truth
The film was promoted as based on true events, but much of it appears to be a work of fiction, according to Kristen Abrams, senior anti-trafficking director at the McCain Institute.
Vice News’ Tim Marchman told NPR: “They are not completely false stories, but they combine things that are true or almost true into stories that are completely different from what really happened.”
What is the true story of Tim Ballard
Given the above comments, we could not say that the movie “Sound Of Freedom” is based on the story of Tim Ballard. What cannot be disputed, however, is the fact that his real life story of trafficking became a source of inspiration for the creation of the film.
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The real Tim Ballard is described as an American-born activist who founded Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), an anti-sex-trafficking organization, in 2013 and served as its CEO until 2023, when he was accused of sexually abusing five women. who collaborated with him in OUR operations.
According to the OUR website, the organization has been associated with more than 7,000 human lives, participated in more than 6,500 arrests and carried out more than 4,000 operations. OUR oversees numerous missions to rescue children and others from sex trafficking in the United States and sometimes in other countries, made possible by Ballard.
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What happened to Tim Ballard after ‘Sound Of Freedom’
The release of the film titled ‘Sound Of Freedom’ greatly influenced Tim Ballard’s life. The release of “Sound of Freedom” brought up some controversies from Ballard’s past, including allegations against his nonprofit, Operation Underground Railroad.
The Davis County District Attorney’s Office in Utah launched an investigation into OUR after a series of complaints in October 2020. Some alleged that the organization was involved in illegal fundraising opportunities. Ultimately, the Davis County District Attorney’s Office never filed charges and closed the case in March 2023.
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According to Vice, Tim Ballard left Operation Underground Railroad shortly before Sound of Freedom hits theaters on July 4, 2023. His departure from the anti-sex-trafficking nonprofit was done quietly, so and the news didn’t break until a week after the film premiered.
The reasons behind Ballard’s departure are believed to be unclear, but it is claimed by screenrant.com that the remaining OUR board members forced him out, following allegations of sexual misconduct made against him.
Today, has his own podcast called “The Tim Ballard Podcast”where she shares stories she lived through the years she was actively involved in rescuing children from the horrors of human trafficking.