Sound of Freedom director responds to 'heartbreaking' QAnon labels: This is all wrong

Despite its signification box office success (particularly for an indie film), a significant portion of the mainstream media has chosen to callSound of Freedoma product of QAnon ideology. However, this characterisation appears incredibly absurd toAlejandro Monteverde, the Mexican-born writer-director of the film.

He initiated the project in 2015, a time that predates the emergence of QAnon by two years, reported Variety. In 2015, he was confronted with a distressing reality he had never before comprehended: child sex trafficking.

This revelation hit him with an emotional force that shook the core of his being. The idea of innocent children being subjected to such horrifying ordeals was a concept he found difficult to reconcile. His sense of urgency led to conversations with his wife, Ali Landry, and a decision to channel his concerns into a film that would address this grave issue.

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"The origin [of the film] has been avoided, purposely or accidentally, in the media. The origin will answer a lot of these misconceptions on the film," Monteverde told the publication.

How Sound of Freedom came into being

Monteverde said that he had no knowledge of the grave issue of child sex trafficking until he viewed a news segment on the topic. The newfound information deeply affected him because he found it difficult to believe that such a thing actually existed, particularly the juxtaposition of adults and children involved. That night, he grappled with restlessness, prompting him to discuss the impact of the news segment with his wife, actress Ali Landry, who is also the mother of their three children. Following their conversation, she encouraged him to delve into researching and crafting a screenplay.

Originally conceptualised as The Mogul, Monteverde's project took on a new dimension when he crossed paths with producer Eduardo Verástegui and former special agent Tim Ballard.

Ballard's personal experiences working in the Department of Homeland Security's efforts to combat child trafficking added to the film. With Jim Caviezel leading the cast as Tim Ballard and actors like Mira Sorvino, Bill Camp, José Zúñiga, and Verástegui rounding out the ensemble, Sound of Freedom, as per its marketingaims to shed light on an issue too often hidden in the shadows.

Monteverde heartbroken by accusations of QAnon association

Despite the film's genuine intentions, Monteverde has found himself at the center of a storm of controversy. Critics and media outlets have accused Sound of Freedom of having connections to the QAnon conspiracy theory. This label, which he adamantly rejects, has apparently caused him immense heartache and frustration. While speaking to Variety, Monteverde revealed, "I was like really sick. I was like, ‘This is all wrong. That’s not true.’ It was heartbreaking when I saw all this polemic and all this controversy going on. My instinct was to run. I want to hide."

What is QAnon?

QAnon is a disproven conspiracy theory that originated on internet forums in 2017. It claims that a secret cabal of Satan-worshipping paedophiles controls the world, and that former President Donald Trump was fighting against them. This theory has been widely debunked and criticised for lacking credible evidence. Many experts consider it to be a baseless and dangerous conspiracy theory.

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