Voces inocentes
Encyclopedia
Voces inocentes is a 2004
Mexican film
directed
by Luis Mandoki
. The plot is set during the Salvadoran Civil War in 1980, and is based on writer Óscar Torres's childhood
. The film serves as a general commentary on the military use of children
. The movie also shows injustice against innocent people who are forced to fight in the war. It follows the story of the narrator, a boy named Chava.
. His family lives in a town that is currently heavily fought over between the Salvadoran army and guerrillas. His mother makes a living for the family by sewing, and Chava sells the clothes in shops. When he's not in school, Chava helps out by announcing stations for a bus driver.
He is nearing his twelfth birthday, when the military
will recruit him. Chava witnesses the army recruiting twelve-year old children from his school. One day his uncle Beto, who has joined the guerrillas, comes to visit Chava's family. Beto wants to take Chava with him so the military can't recruit him, but Kella is against it. Beto gives a radio to Chava and tells him how to listen to the guerrillas' banned radio station, Venceremos. Chava knowingly plays a song banned by the Salvadoran Army in front of the soldiers, but the town's priest saves him by playing the same song over the church's loudspeaker, focusing the soldier's attention away from Chava. Chava falls in love with a girl in his class named Cristina Maria. The guerrillas attack the army from the school building and the school is closed. Kella and her family move out of town to her mother's house in a safer area. One of the guerrillas tells Chava of the army's next recruitment day, and Chava and his friends warn the entire city to hide their children. Chava decides to visit Cristina Maria but only finds the bombed-out shell of her house. He and his friends decide to join the guerrillas, but they are followed and the guerrilla camp is attacked by the army. Chava and his friends are taken to be shot near a river, but at the last moment Chava is saved by a guerrilla attack. He runs home to find his mother in the burnt out ruins of their house. She decides to send him to the United States to save him, and he promises to return and rescue his brother before he too turns twelve.
In the epilogue, it is revealed that Chava returns to El Salvador and his family six years after the events of the film.
, which was non-existent in the film.
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
Mexican film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Luis Mandoki
Luis Mandoki
Luis Mandoki is a Mexican film director working in Mexico and Hollywood.Luis Mandoki studied Fine Arts in Mexico and at the San Francisco Art Institute, the London College of Printing, and the London International Film School...
. The plot is set during the Salvadoran Civil War in 1980, and is based on writer Óscar Torres's childhood
Childhood
Childhood is the age span ranging from birth to adolescence. In developmental psychology, childhood is divided up into the developmental stages of toddlerhood , early childhood , middle childhood , and adolescence .- Age ranges of childhood :The term childhood is non-specific and can imply a...
. The film serves as a general commentary on the military use of children
Military use of children
The military use of children takes three distinct forms: children can take direct part in hostilities , or they can be used in support roles such as porters, spies, messengers, look outs, and sexual slaves; or they can be used for political advantage either as human shields or in...
. The movie also shows injustice against innocent people who are forced to fight in the war. It follows the story of the narrator, a boy named Chava.
Main cast
- Carlos Padilla – Chava
- Leonor VarelaLeonor VarelaLeonor Varela Palma is a Chilean actress, and model. She played the character Cleopatra in the 1999 film Cleopatra...
– Kella - Xuna Primus – Cristina Maria
- Gustavo Muñoz – Ancha
- Ofelia MedinaOfelia MedinaOfelia Medina is a Mexican actress, singer and screenwriter of Mexican films. She was married to film director Alex Philips Jr. and actor Pedro Armendáriz Jr..-Biography:...
– Mama Toya - Daniel Giménez CachoDaniel Giménez CachoDaniel Giménez Cacho is a Spanish-born Ariel award winner Mexican actor who has starred in several Mexican films such as Solo con tu pareja, Cronos, Midaq Alley and Arráncame la Vida, among others as well as in Spanish Films and TV shows.He is known for having worked with some of the most...
– Priest - Paulina GaitánPaulina GaitánPaulina Gaitán Ruíz is a Mexican actress.-Biography:Gaitán started acting at age 9 and at the age of 12 had an important role in Mexican director Luis Mandoki's Innocent Voices, a tale about the civil war in El Salvador...
– Angelita
Plot
Chava is 11 years old and the oldest son of Kella. His father left El Salvador when the war started, for the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. His family lives in a town that is currently heavily fought over between the Salvadoran army and guerrillas. His mother makes a living for the family by sewing, and Chava sells the clothes in shops. When he's not in school, Chava helps out by announcing stations for a bus driver.
He is nearing his twelfth birthday, when the military
Military of El Salvador
The Armed Forces of El Salvador, in Spanish Fuerza Armada de El Salvador is the official name of the combined armed forces of El Salvador...
will recruit him. Chava witnesses the army recruiting twelve-year old children from his school. One day his uncle Beto, who has joined the guerrillas, comes to visit Chava's family. Beto wants to take Chava with him so the military can't recruit him, but Kella is against it. Beto gives a radio to Chava and tells him how to listen to the guerrillas' banned radio station, Venceremos. Chava knowingly plays a song banned by the Salvadoran Army in front of the soldiers, but the town's priest saves him by playing the same song over the church's loudspeaker, focusing the soldier's attention away from Chava. Chava falls in love with a girl in his class named Cristina Maria. The guerrillas attack the army from the school building and the school is closed. Kella and her family move out of town to her mother's house in a safer area. One of the guerrillas tells Chava of the army's next recruitment day, and Chava and his friends warn the entire city to hide their children. Chava decides to visit Cristina Maria but only finds the bombed-out shell of her house. He and his friends decide to join the guerrillas, but they are followed and the guerrilla camp is attacked by the army. Chava and his friends are taken to be shot near a river, but at the last moment Chava is saved by a guerrilla attack. He runs home to find his mother in the burnt out ruins of their house. She decides to send him to the United States to save him, and he promises to return and rescue his brother before he too turns twelve.
In the epilogue, it is revealed that Chava returns to El Salvador and his family six years after the events of the film.
Critique
One of the biggest critiques of the film was the characters not speaking in Salvadoran accents or Caliche. The people of El Salvador, for the most part speak in voseoVoseo
Voseo is the use of the second person singular pronoun vos in many dialects of Spanish. In dialects that have it, it is used either instead of tú, or alongside it....
, which was non-existent in the film.
Awards
- Three Ariel AwardAriel AwardThe Ariel is the Mexican Academy of Film Award. It has been awarded annually since 1947. The award recognizes excellence in motion picture making, such as acting, directing and screenwriting in Mexican cinema. It is considered the most prestigious award in the Mexican movie industry.- History :The...
s in 2005 for Best special effects, make-up and supporting actress - A Crystal Heart Award as well as the Audience Choice Award for Dramatic Feature at the 2005 Heartland Film FestivalHeartland Film FestivalThe Heartland Film Festival is a film festival held each October in Indianapolis, Indiana. First held in 1992, its goal is to "recognize and honor filmmakers whose work explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life."In May 2007, Heartland...
. - Golden Space Needle award at the Seattle International Film FestivalSeattle International Film FestivalThe Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
(2005) - Stanley Kramer Award of the Producers Guild of AmericaProducers Guild of AmericaProducers Guild of America is a trade organization representing television producers, film producers and New Media producers in the United States. The PGA's membership includes over 4,700 members of the producing establishment worldwide...