TV & Movies

Where was Sound of Freedom filmed? All filming locations

Daisy Phillipson
Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard in Sound of FreedomAngel Studios

Sound of Freedom chronicles an anti-sex trafficking operation in South America – so, here’s a breakdown of the movie’s filming locations.

On July 4, Sound of Freedom dropped in theaters across America, with the world unaware of the media frenzy that was to come. Since then, a heated debate has sparked online, with claims of astroturfing and QAnon links on the one side and allegations of anti-Christian bias and promotional interference on the other. 

Whatever your take on the matter, there’s no denying the movie’s success – so far, it’s earned nearly $173 million at the box office (before its international release) on a $14.5 million budget. 

Starring Jim Caviezel as the real-life Tim Ballard, the plot centers on the federal agent as he quits his job and journeys deep into the Colombian jungle to put his life on the line and save a young boy’s sister from child sex traffickers. With the movie out in US cinemas and gearing up for its global release, we’ve broken down Sound of Freedom’s filming locations. 

Sound of Freedom filming locations

Sound of Freedom began principal photography in the summer of 2018 and wrapped filming in the same year. As to why it took so long for the movie to hit the big screen, there were issues with the distribution rights, which were handed to Disney amid the Fox merger before its current distributor Angel Studios crowdfunded to take it over – you can read more about that here.

While much of the movie is set in Colombia, there are several filming locations the production team headed to for Sound of Freedom. So, let’s get into it. 

Imperial County, California

Tweet about Sound of Freedom filming in California

Tim Ballard’s story in Sound of Freedom starts with him working as a special agent for the Homeland Security Investigations in California, with many of these shots being filmed in Calexico, a city located on the Mexican border in southern Imperial County. 

Images were shared of Jim Caviezel on the set in Calexico alongside Jason Solarez, a young actor who stood in for another character in Colombia. As per the Calexico Chronicle, a couple of dozen Imperial County residents were brought in to help with the production as extras or assistants. 

They included Brawley resident Abbie Solarez, who worked as both the location scout and production coordinator, and is the grandfather to Jason. “We shot the movie scenes in Tim’s real booth, the one he worked in here in Calexico at the Port of Entry,” he told the outlet.

Abbie went on to explain that he was tasked with seeking out filming locations that matched the scenes that had already been shot in Colombia, where a majority of the movie was filmed. He continued: “The chase scenes were filmed behind Applebee’s in some old abandoned streets and the house in Calexico had to match the house in Colombia for all the exterior shots.”

Cartagena, Colombia

Image of Sound of Freedom team in Cartagena, Colombia

Much of Sound of Freedom was filmed on location in Colombia, where Ballard goes to rescue a young girl from the clutches of a local sex trafficking ring. In real life, when Ballard quit his government job, he founded Operation Underground Railroad, a nonprofit aimed at ending child sex exploitation. 

In 2014, OUR joined forces with Colombian authorities in a sting operation in Cartagena, which CBS News said at the time ended in 54 children between the ages of 11 to 18 being rescued. In 2022, members of the organization attended an anti-trafficking summit in the same city, which is located on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. 

With so much history in Cartagena, the Sound of Freedom production team headed to the city to shoot scenes for the movie. Back in October 2018, the film’s Instagram page shared an image of director Alejandro Monteverde alongside Caviezel on location in Cartagena. 

Isla Barú, Colombia

Image of Sound of Freedom stars in Isla Barú, Colombia

The Sound of Freedom team also traveled to the nearby Isla Barú in Colombia where they shot the key beach scenes for the movie. The island, located approximately 40km south from Cartagena, is known for its picturesque beaches, especially Playa Blanca. 

But it became the setting for a very dark subject when Sound of Freedom shot scenes there. The film’s Instagram page also shared an image of its 2018 production on the island, showing actors Eduardo Verástegui and Bill Camp, who star as Vampiro and Pablo, respectively. 

Sound of Freedom can be streamed on Prime Video, which you can sign up for here. You can also check out our other coverage below:

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