'City of Dreams' film from 'Sound of Freedom' team highlights horrors of child trafficking
Sean Wolfington never wanted to make "City of Dreams," a film spotlighting one of the most horrifying crises of today: child trafficking. But for the executive producer also behind "Sound of Freedom," bringing the film to life felt like a calling from God he couldn't ignore.
"It's not a movie we wanted to make," Wolfington told The Christian Post. "We had a list of other films, but 'City of Dreams,' like 'Sound of Freedom,' was one we were called to make. Once you see something like this, it's hard to turn the other way."
"When things are far from people's eyes, they're far from their heart, and when they're far from their heart, they're far from their actions," he added. "It's our hope that we can bring this closer to people's eyes, closer through their hearts and drive action to not only raise awareness but hopefully to mobilize millions of people to fight back against these traffickers."
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From Roadside Attractions and inspired by true events, "City of Dreams" tells the harrowing tale of Jesús, a young boy abducted by traffickers, who transforms from a hopeful soccer player into a survivor determined to escape and save others along the way.
The film highlights the painful reality of child trafficking and the glimmers of courage that emerge in the darkest moments. For Wolfington, balancing the weight of the story with its potential to inspire action was crucial.
The executive director said that the transformation of Jesús from victim to hero is central to the film's narrative, highlighting the themes of resilience and faith.
"We wanted to entertain people," he explained, "but also have an impact. We hope to light a candle in people's hearts that can inspire others to rise up, much like Jesús did, and help protect and save children."
"We've all faced our own valleys, but the courage Jesús shows in this film is something we hope will inspire others to never give up," Wolfington shared. "He didn't just fight for himself; he fought for the others. That's the message we want to send — no matter how overwhelming the odds, we can all make a difference."
"City of Dreams," currently playing in theaters, stars Alfredo Castro ("Karnawal"), Paulina Gaitan ("Narcos"), Diego Calva ("Babylon"), Renata Vaca ("Saw X") and newcomer Ari Lopez. The film is rated R for strong violence, including child abuse, bloody images, language, some sexual material and partial nudity.
Despite the film's powerful message, Wolfington acknowledged that confronting the enormity of child trafficking can feel overwhelming for many.
"We want people to know there's something they can do," he said, comparing the modern-day fight to the efforts of Harriet Beecher Stowe, whose book Uncle Tom's Cabin helped galvanize the abolitionist movement.
"She was just a normal woman who used her talent to write a book that inspired millions. We can all do something, whether it's sharing the trailer, raising awareness, or supporting policies that protect children," he said.
According to showrunners, More than 12 million children are victims of modern slavery.
But despite the enormity of the human trafficking problem, Wolfington stated that there is limited media coverage of the issue.
"Sound of Freedom," which also dealt with trafficking, received significant attention from Spanish-language outlets but struggled to break into mainstream conversations in the U.S.
"It's surprising to me," he says. "I think people just find it difficult to even think about something this horrifying happening to children."
More troubling still is the recent revelation that social media algorithms may be working against efforts to raise awareness, he said. Wolfington told CP that celebrities supporting the cause have found their posts shadow-banned, likely due to automated content flagging.
"It's frustrating because the platforms are probably just trying to stop harmful content, but they need to understand the difference between those trying to help and those causing harm," he said.
Yet despite these challenges, Wolfington said he's hopeful that the film can raise awareness about the issue and change hearts and minds. He cited the film's upcoming screening for members of Congress as a potential catalyst for policy changes.
"With 'Sound of Freedom,' there were tens of thousands of children that were liberated as a result of people seeing the movie and taking action," he said. "But there were also laws created in countries around the world that added protection for children, and still today, the laws of the United States need to be bolstered. So it's our hope that by screening it for lawmakers, both from the left and the right, they can join together to put what matters to everyone first, which is protecting the innocence of our children, and to the extent that they can create more laws to protect children."
Even if the film doesn't have the same success as "Sound of Freedom" — the Jim Caviezel film grossed $250 million against a $14.5 million budget — Wolfington emphasized that every life saved is its own reward.
"If we can save just one child, that's our Oscar," he said. "There's probably a little boy out there right now praying for someone to help him. We want people to become that someone."
"We all have different roles to play," he added, pointing to the "City of Dreams" official website, which offers a "battle plan" with ten actionable steps for individuals to raise awareness and protect their own families.
"Even if somebody doesn't watch the movie, they can at least be aware and get resources to not only protect their family but other people's families as well," he said.
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]
