Mexican producer Eduardo Verástegui, the mastermind behind the internationally acclaimed film Sound of Freedom, visited Hungary during last week’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). His impactful film on child trafficking has sparked a movement embraced by conservatives, also drawing the attention of prominent leaders like Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Verástegui shared insights on these developments and more in an interview with Hungarian Conservative.
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Your film, Sound of Freedom, has been a box office hit in cinemas and has ignited a movement that resonates deeply within conservative circles. What is your recipe for success?
Let me give you a little story behind. In 2004, we started a production company in Mexico with a goal of making movies that matters, movies that hopefully will have the potential not only to entertain, but to make a difference too. The first fruit of that mission is a movie called Bella, it came out in 2007. The second film that we produced was called Little Boy, the third was Sound of Freedom. Now we have a new movie called Cabrini, which is my fourth production. The most successful film of all of them without a question was Sound of Freedom. We spent eight years of work, after we finished the film, for four, almost five years, we were rejected by the studios in Hollywood. They told us that this movie was not going to do well, so they ignored it. That’s why I was forced to do something about it. That’s why I started doing this campaign in Mexico against child trafficking because I have no other option but to start showing the movie. So I started moving it around Mexico, around the United States, around the world. And finally, five years later, while I was praying to God for an angel to rescue the movie, I got a phone call from Angel Studios, a very small distribution company in America. They believed in our mission and they wanted to support it. This is more than a movie, it’s a movement. Sound of Freedom finally came out on the 4th of July and then it broke all the records. Because of the grassroots marketing for the last five years, a lot of people showed up in theatres and supported the movie.
We’re very grateful that now Sound of Freedom became a movement; we are travelling around the globe, signing agreements with presidents, prime ministers and other executives. For example, two weeks ago we signed an agreement with Giorgia Meloni in Rome. She saw the movie and in the agreement she committed against any types of child trafficking in Italy. We also hope to sign an agreement with Viktor Orbán on this issue following the European elections.
As you noted, movies like Sound of Freedom play a crucial role in uniting like-minded individuals. Why, in your view, is it particularly important at this moment to uphold and bolster conservative networks?
Well, CPAC is a very good example of that, because we have CPAC in the United States, in Mexico, in Hungary, in Japan and in Brazil, and it’s growing. These international partnerships with leaders from different parts of the world that share our values are essential. It’s an opportunity for exchanging experience because we need to have a blueprint just like the left has one. They have a blueprint and they follow it very disciplined and that’s why they are winning so many battles, but they don’t represent the majority of the people around the world. They only make a lot of noise because they own most of the media, a lot of schools, social media and everything. However, a falling tree makes much more noise than a growing forest.
They are the trees that are falling and we are the forest that is growing.
And this is just the beginning. We need to do this more often, we need to help each other. When a country achieves success like Hungary, it’s crucial to ensure that less successful countries also thrive by promoting the blueprint, pushing the strategy, and supporting one another. This is what the globalists are doing, so we need to do the same, but with the truth. God, family and nation, those are the three pillars that sustain any healthy society. I’m very inspired coming here because I see your country’s good example and I want to see my country grow like Hungary. Mexico needs healing and it’s only God who can help us. That’s why I say that this is not only a political and cultural battle, but a spiritual battle too. God is the one who will make the difference, but we need to open our hearts to Him. Otherwise, it’s going to be impossible.
You’ve frequently cited Hungary as an example to follow. What do you consider to be the key to the country’s success?
Well, because the leadership and the government never gives up. From the beginning, they started fighting when they were young. And then when they lost they didn’t go home. They continued. Many people get discouraged of politics for many reasons. However, in politics, there is no empty chairs. There’s always someone occupying those spaces, making decisions that will affect our families and the countries destiny for good or bad. That’s why we need to keep fighting, if we don’t win this time, we continue. We need to have short, middle, and long term goals. I think
Viktor Orbán and all the leaders of the country, they’re freedom fighters.
They don’t give up. So, first and foremost, for conservative leaders to succeed, they must be very resilient and resistant. These are key factors contributing to Hungary’s achievements. It is also important to respect and stand up for the values of the people. You have a country that are represented by true representatives. In Mexico we have a Christian country governed by an anti-Christian government. It doesn’t make any sense. That’s why I am building a political part in Mexico in 2025. We are going to start the restoration and the construction of the future of Mexico. We’re never going to give up. We’re going to fight until we conquer Mexico back to God.
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