What’s Happening:
Over the summer, Hollywood was stunned to see patriotic film Sound of Freedom bring in millions. The indie-released move that exposed the child trafficking crisis brought in over $200 million worldwide. The film continues to see releases in countries around the world.
Recently, U.S. Southern Command was going to screen the film for American troops. The film was relevant to their work combating human trafficking in South America. But after a leftist critic accused the film of being political propaganda, the military quickly canceled the screenings. And now, a top Republican senator is getting involved.
From The Post Millennial:
US Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) issued a letter to the military on Wednesday demanding they “reschedule” the showing of the hit box office film Sound of Freedom “without delay.” […]
“Since the concern which led to the cancelation has now been addressed, I urge you to rectify this situation and ensure that the screenings of the film be rescheduled without delay,” Rubio wrote in the letter.
SOUTHCOM reportedly canceled the screenings by claiming they might have infringed on copyright law. Sen. Rubio did not seem to believe this excuse. Military bases screen movies on a regular basis, even at overseas bases. It would simply be a matter of securing permission from the rights holder.
Rubio even said that a representative from Angel Studios, the film’s distributor, was willing to communicate with SOUTHCOM to alleviate any concerns. Despite this, it is unclear if the screenings will be resumed.
The Republican senator is calling on SOUTHCOM to resume the screenings “without delay.” The military command originally wanted to screen the movie, because its story celebrates the very work SOUTHCOM does in other countries. It could bring awareness to the group’s work at combating human trafficking.
Sound of Freedom, however, has been heavily criticized by the mainstream media. Accusations range from calling the movie untrue to attacks accusing its lead actor of being a “conspiracy theorist.” Some have suggested the media is critical of the independent film, simply for not being Hollywood production.
Key Takeaways:
- Marco Rubio has called for U.S. Southern Command to resume screenings of Sound of Freedom.
- The indie film, which is about the real-life issue of child trafficking, was a big hit of the summer.
- SOUTHCOM allegedly canceled two screenings, after critics accused the film of being political.
Source: The Post Millennial
