Angel Studios’ second film, ‘The Sound of Freedom,’ which was released on 4th July 2023, has created quite an interest in the general public at large since it is based on a true story of a US agent’s mission to rescue children from sex trafficking in Colombia, with the plot centering around Operation Underground Railroad, an anti-sex trafficking organization. So far, it has grossed $178 million against a $14.5 million budget. However, those figures have been reported that they might be obscured, considering that Angel Studios, “instituted a ‘Pay It Forward’ program which allows people to purchase large swathes of tickets as a ‘donation’ to others, which are then being counted in the box office receipts regardless of whether or not they’ve been claimed.”
So far it has received mixed reviews from critics but audience reception has been highly positive and it is a summer hit. The film will be shown at our Eden Cinemas on the 31st of August.
Why was the film released now, when it has been completed in 2018 and a distribution deal had been made with the Latin American subsidiary of 20th Century Fox? Why did the Walt Disney Company shelve the film when it purchased the studio, with the filmmakers having to buy the distribution rights back from the studio? But, why was it released now, during these times? Is it to serve as an eye-opener, or as a distraction from a larger picture of what more there is to child trafficking? According to online information, it was this year that Angel Studios acquired the worldwide distribution rights and in order to be able to distribute and market the film, Angel Studios had to use equity crowdfunding to raise the necessary funds. This saw the investment of seven thousand people, which allowed Angel Studios to meet its $5 million goal in two weeks.
Who was one of those who invested? Fabian Marta. In comments on Facebook, Marta had written that he was an “‘angel investor’ in the film and that his role involved reacquiring the rights back from Disney to stop them from ‘burying’ the film.” It was on 21st July when he was arrested, charged with kidnapping in the First Degree and is accused of allegedly ‘removing a non-family member below the age of 14 without their parent’s consent'” according to the official Missouri Courts website.
“In Missouri, child kidnapping is a class A felony, which means Marta faces 10 years to life in prison if found guilty. From Chesterfield, Missouri, while Marta’s bail was set at $15,000, he was released following an initial court appearance on July 24.”
Here are some thought-provoking tweets: