The Sound of Freedom - My thoughts and feelings
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2023 9:17 pm
The film, The Sound of Freedom has been heavily promoted across all platforms. I watched the trailer a few weeks ago and have followed the hubbub, it’s hard not to since it is being promoted by many of the channels, platforms, and websites I get notifications from.
Something inside me was a bit suspicious, feelings arose to be circumspect about this production. These feelings weren’t based on any research, I don’t follow celebritydom and haven’t watched a Hollywood production in years, I didn’t know the players involved so had no preconceived ideas. It was just an uneasy feeling.
For way over a decade I have been aware of child sex trafficking, organ harvesting, and other widespread horrors. A few of my close friends were victims of SRA as children and I learned to listen to them in a neutral frame of mind. I learned a lot during these sessions, felt their trauma but not in an overtly emotional manner. Somehow I knew that being a witness to their testimonies required holding a place where they could feel safe enough to express openly. If I were to fall into a reactionary emotional state the space of trust would collapse. My reasons for explaining this are that for the many of us who have confronted or experienced these horrors, we’ve realized that any effective posture must be non-reactionary. Those, like Cathy O’Brien, who have been courageous in telling their story of recovery need to be heard. This film is not about the healing aspect of sexual child abuse.
I watched the trailer for The Sound of Freedom, it was evident that this was a professional production with lots of money behind it. I probably would have left it at that except I began to hear from friends and watch online the highly charged emotional reactions, the uncontrollable tears as people were shaken by the presentation. By no means do I think this is bad, perhaps a few will be shaken out of slumber. However I also realized that most people will go to see this movie, be moved to tears and then walk out of the theater to continue with their normal lives. The film has been compared to Schindler’s List for the emotional impact it leaves the viewer with, it was meant to do just that. Perhaps, over time the movie will make an indelible imprint in people's psyche that could open other channels of realization of what has always laid hidden beneath the surface of "civil society".
The day the movie opened to the public I experienced a sudden comprehension of a dark force underlying the production. It was so multi-layered that it takes focus to recall what I intuited so suddenly. The actor, Jim Caviezel, was interviewed by Shawn Ryan and I while I was listening attentively, about half way through the interview it began to feel scripted and staged—to my eyes Jim Caviezel was acting, for that is what he does, he acts. Then there was this overlay of devout Christianity, both men proclaiming their faith with glazed eyes, Jim especially. It had the feeling of a trance, both men appeared to be in a trance like state, while the whole intense, measured conversation was forming a trance for the audience. Honestly I did not expect this to arise at all. Without being able to pinpoint each layer at the moment, what my innerstanding saw was that this was a masterful operation. It would lure millions of people to the screen, of course making millions of dollars in the process, all the people sitting in the theater would go into a deep emotional state and thereby be open for a huge loosh operation. But more than this I felt a foreboding that this was a set up for something far more nefarious. I can’t quite see, but sense there will be a discrediting of the people involved in producing the film, or possibly the movement will be steered to a dead end with no further action. Of course I don’t know this for sure and so remain determined to stay open and wait to see.
I am writing this because this morning I watched an interview with Tim Ballard and Jim Caviezel on the Jordan Peterson podcast. I almost didn’t listen because of my initial feelings. I am glad I did, it appears to be less trance like and more real. (Yes, I know of Jordan’s bow down to Netanyahu and Israel, I also saw the clip of him preening about how much money he makes so I listen to him in a skeptical light.) So to be honest, the conversation was a good one for those who want to listen. Jordan’s description of how people are turned into predators via porn is something I have long been aware of, he does a credible job explaining it. Tim Ballard, while intense and devout felt more real with human empathy in him, his story didn’t seem as rehearsed as Jim’s.
For anyone interested here is the video:
I am learning to have a more comprehensive view, much like listening to my friends who told me their stories I will hold the same open space to watch what develops. Of course there is already a rash of opinions that echo my initial ones, I am quite sure that there will be videos linking unsavory characters to the movie. At the moment I prefer to remain neutral and yet can easily see there is much more than meets the eye. I also know that by being able to maintain compassionate composure leaves open the potential for much good.
Something inside me was a bit suspicious, feelings arose to be circumspect about this production. These feelings weren’t based on any research, I don’t follow celebritydom and haven’t watched a Hollywood production in years, I didn’t know the players involved so had no preconceived ideas. It was just an uneasy feeling.
For way over a decade I have been aware of child sex trafficking, organ harvesting, and other widespread horrors. A few of my close friends were victims of SRA as children and I learned to listen to them in a neutral frame of mind. I learned a lot during these sessions, felt their trauma but not in an overtly emotional manner. Somehow I knew that being a witness to their testimonies required holding a place where they could feel safe enough to express openly. If I were to fall into a reactionary emotional state the space of trust would collapse. My reasons for explaining this are that for the many of us who have confronted or experienced these horrors, we’ve realized that any effective posture must be non-reactionary. Those, like Cathy O’Brien, who have been courageous in telling their story of recovery need to be heard. This film is not about the healing aspect of sexual child abuse.
I watched the trailer for The Sound of Freedom, it was evident that this was a professional production with lots of money behind it. I probably would have left it at that except I began to hear from friends and watch online the highly charged emotional reactions, the uncontrollable tears as people were shaken by the presentation. By no means do I think this is bad, perhaps a few will be shaken out of slumber. However I also realized that most people will go to see this movie, be moved to tears and then walk out of the theater to continue with their normal lives. The film has been compared to Schindler’s List for the emotional impact it leaves the viewer with, it was meant to do just that. Perhaps, over time the movie will make an indelible imprint in people's psyche that could open other channels of realization of what has always laid hidden beneath the surface of "civil society".
The day the movie opened to the public I experienced a sudden comprehension of a dark force underlying the production. It was so multi-layered that it takes focus to recall what I intuited so suddenly. The actor, Jim Caviezel, was interviewed by Shawn Ryan and I while I was listening attentively, about half way through the interview it began to feel scripted and staged—to my eyes Jim Caviezel was acting, for that is what he does, he acts. Then there was this overlay of devout Christianity, both men proclaiming their faith with glazed eyes, Jim especially. It had the feeling of a trance, both men appeared to be in a trance like state, while the whole intense, measured conversation was forming a trance for the audience. Honestly I did not expect this to arise at all. Without being able to pinpoint each layer at the moment, what my innerstanding saw was that this was a masterful operation. It would lure millions of people to the screen, of course making millions of dollars in the process, all the people sitting in the theater would go into a deep emotional state and thereby be open for a huge loosh operation. But more than this I felt a foreboding that this was a set up for something far more nefarious. I can’t quite see, but sense there will be a discrediting of the people involved in producing the film, or possibly the movement will be steered to a dead end with no further action. Of course I don’t know this for sure and so remain determined to stay open and wait to see.
I am writing this because this morning I watched an interview with Tim Ballard and Jim Caviezel on the Jordan Peterson podcast. I almost didn’t listen because of my initial feelings. I am glad I did, it appears to be less trance like and more real. (Yes, I know of Jordan’s bow down to Netanyahu and Israel, I also saw the clip of him preening about how much money he makes so I listen to him in a skeptical light.) So to be honest, the conversation was a good one for those who want to listen. Jordan’s description of how people are turned into predators via porn is something I have long been aware of, he does a credible job explaining it. Tim Ballard, while intense and devout felt more real with human empathy in him, his story didn’t seem as rehearsed as Jim’s.
For anyone interested here is the video:
I am learning to have a more comprehensive view, much like listening to my friends who told me their stories I will hold the same open space to watch what develops. Of course there is already a rash of opinions that echo my initial ones, I am quite sure that there will be videos linking unsavory characters to the movie. At the moment I prefer to remain neutral and yet can easily see there is much more than meets the eye. I also know that by being able to maintain compassionate composure leaves open the potential for much good.
