Sound Of Freedom: The Story Of Tim Ballard, The Film's Real-Life Inspiration
"Sound of Freedom" is one of 2023's most unexpected success stories. As of this writing, the independent action-thriller has grossed over $85 million at the box office and brought Jim Caviezel back into the Hollywood spotlight. In the movie, "The Passion of the Christ" star plays Tim Ballard, a former government agent who goes rogue to take down a child trafficking ring. Furthermore, Caviezel's character draws inspiration from a real-life figure who's dedicated his career to this line of work.
Tim Ballard is a former undercover operative for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. After leaving the government agency, he founded Operation Underground Railroad, a nonprofit organization that's dedicated to fighting real-life human trafficking rings all around the world.
Of course, Ballard's work has also made him a source of controversy. He's outspoken about his politics and he's been linked to conspiracy theories pertaining to the exploitation of children. As such, "Sound of Freedom" has attracted its fair share of critics, with Rolling Stone describing it as a "QAnon-tinged thriller about child-trafficking [that's] designed to appeal to the conscience of a conspiracy-addled boomer." With that in mind, let's take a look at the man who inspired the creation of the film.
Tim Ballard quit his job to bust child trafficking rings
"Sound of Freedom" follows Tim Ballard (Jim Caviezel) as he embarks on a dangerous mission to save a young girl from a Colombian child trafficking operation. He even quits his job at the Department of Homeland Security to carry out the rescue mission, similar to how events reportedly played out in the real world. However, the movie only chronicles one case that prompted Ballard to leave the government agency and go out on his own.
While speaking to The Daily Signal, Ballard explained that his federal superiors told him to abort missions in Haiti and Colombia, which he refused to do as he felt it defeated the purpose of his duties. "I was told, 'Come home,' on both of them," Ballard recalled. "They were both major cases, a significant hit against human traffickers would have taken place... There I am, thinking, 'They're asking me to come home once again, and I'm not gonna do it. I'm gonna stay, and that means I have to quit my job."
During the aforementioned interview, Ballard revealed that he was able to carry out the missions thanks to funding from Glenn Beck, a conservative political commentator who's worked for CNN, Fox News, and TheBlaze TV. "Glenn Beck, bless his heart, raised the money for us so that we could even do the operations," Ballard said. "I had no money to do it." Afterward, Ballard went on to found the Operation Underground Railroad organization. However, that's arguably what led to the former agent becoming associated with conspiracy theories and controversy.
Tim Ballard founded Operation Underground Railroad - then left
Tim Ballard founded Operation Underground Railroad in 2013. According to the organization's website, the group works with government and law enforcement agencies, both domestically and internationally, to devise strategies that will assist in the fight against human trafficking. This includes gathering intelligence, offering resources, and providing care to survivors. They've also been known to carry out sting operations and share the footage on social media.
While the Operation Underground Railroad's efforts are noble on paper, the organization has been linked with QAnon. This far-right conspiracy theory movement believes Democratic politicians and Hollywood celebrities are involved in the operation of child trafficking rings. Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad have denied any association with the movement, but there are crossover elements regarding their respective beliefs. "Some of these theories have allowed people to open their eyes," Ballard told The New York Times in 2020. "So now it's our job to flood the space with real information so the facts can be shared."
These days, however, Ballard appears to be distancing himself from Operation Underground Railroad. Vice reported that he parted ways with the organization before "Sound of Freedom" was released and has since co-founded a new endeavor known as The Spear Fund.