A new controversial movie has taken American theaters by storm. The new film, Sound of Freedom, centers around human trafficking, which has brought to light the important topic that affects millions of people every year.
The film, which features actor Jim Caviezel, has been popular among conservatives, however, viewers are not without their criticisms. Caviezel first made waves when he portrayed Jesus Christ in the 2004 film, Passion of the Christ. Despite accusations and protests due to alleged antisemitic themes, Caviezel doubled down on the film's message and his faith. Now his most recent film which tackles human trafficking has been dismissed for allegedly being influenced by QAnon.
Nevertheless, there are an estimated 27.6 million victims of human trafficking on Earth at any given moment. The demographic arguably most impacted by this practice is children. Earlier this year, NBC 6 reported that 67% of human trafficking victims in Miami-Dade are local and 40% are minors.
Florida International University's Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice Suman Kakar, a human trafficking expert, believes the film has been very productive in starting conversations around the second-largest criminal enterprise in the world.
"Sound of Freedom raises awareness about the important issue of human trafficking. Storytelling serves a key role in shedding light on issues of social importance and normalizes the discussion of often sensitive matters. It opens discussions on otherwise taboo subjects, and it is hoped that by raising awareness, further effort[s] will be directed toward addressing such issues and crafting solutions to curb their continued prevalence," said Kakar.
Kakar offered correlations to who may be most vulnerable to human trafficking, namely the economic underprivileged, "Poverty and vulnerability are two key factors that put people at risk for human trafficking. Individuals coming from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are often at a higher risk for becoming victims of human trafficking."
Kakar added, "It is human nature to seek instant gratification and shortcuts out of poverty. Offenders exploit this desire by offering “quick fixes” to dire situations, i.e., free meals at high-end restaurants, promises of jobs offering high wages and debt satisfaction."
As a solution, Kakar offered that in order to do your individual part in combatting human trafficking we must enact stronger laws that protect children and do the best we can to fight against exploitation when we see it, even if it is seemingly benign.
