House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will host a screening of “Sound of Freedom,” a film about a human trafficking rescue operation, on Capitol Hill for members of Congress.
Scheduled for July 25, the screening will also be attended by Jim Caviezel, the movie’s starring actor, and Operation Underground Railroad’s Tim Ballard, who inspired the film.
An invitation for the event circulating on Twitter revealed that the screening will be prefaced by a reception with the film’s cast and crew and a conversation between Mr. McCarthy, Mr. Caviezel, and Mr. Ballard.
The screening will be the second bipartisan movie night hosted by Mr. McCarthy since he assumed the House speakership in January, his office said. The first was a showing of “Lincoln” earlier in the week.
“As part of his promise to reopen the People’s House, Speaker McCarthy has invited members from both sides of the aisle to attend a screening of ‘Sound of Freedom,’ a movie focused on the bipartisan issue of ending child trafficking,” Chad Gilmartin, deputy spokesman for the speaker, told The Epoch Times.
“The Speaker hopes that events like these will allow members to engage with one another on a personal level and build greater relationships within Congress.”
Unlikely Success
Released by Angel Studios, the company behind the crowdfunded hit TV series “The Chosen,” “Sound of Freedom” has likewise seen great success since its July 4 release.
The movie follows Mr. Caviezel, who portrays Mr. Ballard, on a mission through the Colombian jungle to rescue a little girl kidnapped by child traffickers. The story is based on Mr. Ballard’s real-life efforts to save children from the human trafficking industry, first as an agent for the Department of Homeland Security and now with Operation Underground Railroad.
In its opening weekend, “Sound of Freedom” shocked critics by raking in more than $14.2 million, beating out the fifth installment in the popular Indiana Jones franchise, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” at the domestic box office.
Currently ranked No. 2 in the country, the indie film has grossed more than $101 million despite its meager $14 million budget and numerous hurdles that delayed its release by five years.
