INNOCENT VOICES
Life of an 11 year old
boy who is worried about turning 12.
Characters
- Chavita called Chava
- Kella as chava’s mother -
Christina Maria, Antonio, Fito, Chelle as Chava’s school Friends
- Ancha—villager who is
mentally disabled and handicapped - Church priest - Kella’s mother - Beto, chava’s uncle
2004 Directed by Luis Mandoki. Written by Oscar Torre the film is based
on a childhood experience. It’s about life of children in the Civil War in El
Salvador which happened during 1980-1992. Government use to regularly recruit
children who attended age twelve.
In an interview
available on the movie’s website director gave statement: “For me the legacy of
this film is for children. I think, every child that watches this film changes,
and will walk a different way. A lot of children that have seen the film tell
me, 'I just didn’t realize that that is what war is like.' Because for them,
for most children in the world today, war is a game, so they like it. And this
movie, because they connect to this boy, they realize it kills you. Making a
movie about a true story and what that demands, the legacy for me is truth.”
The
story is of a boy expecting the consequences. The war was between government
common people on the issue of recruitment of children into military. A group of
people opposed it and were called Guerilla Army. Acting of Chavita is good. Story begins with
Chava’s voice, who is taken on death march with his friends by Salvadorian Army
men.
“I’m thirsty, my feet hurts. I have rocks in
my shoes. They are going to kill us for sure. Why do they wan’t to kill us, if we
haven’t done anything”.
Chava’s father left
when the war started. His mother kella said that he is the man of the house. He
managed that, firefights happens between Salvadorian army and Guerilla force
pretty often. Chava hides his sister and brother in the house. His brother gets
scared easily. Kella makes a living by sewing, and chava by selling the
clothes, then he joins in a bus for announcing the stops and informs his mother
about this.
Salvadorian Army visits
the school and calls the names of children attending the age twelve for the
recruitment, this worries Cava. He is in love with a girl named Christina Maria,
who is his classmate. Kella’s brother Beto who is in Guerilla force comes to
their home. That night again firefight happens, next day kella informs him that
she’s worried of Chava’s life as he is going to attain the age of Twelve. Beto
informs that he will take Chava with him next time when he comes. Chava and
Maria being on roof top find army soldiers kidnapping 2 girls, church priest
who tries to stop them gets hit and taken those girls in the truck.
Before leaving, Uncle
Beto gives a radio to Chava and teaches him how to listen to a Guerillas banned
radio station. Later, chava plays the song in front of Salvadorain Army
soldiers. Church priest tries to save him and plays the same song in Church
speaker, a soldier shoots the speaker. Kella, comes to know about it and takes
the radio from Chava. Fire fight between the Army and force happens in school.
Guerilla force enters school and church attacking the army. As a result school
gets closed and the church priest gets harmed by the Army men for leaving
Guerilla force inside the church. Next day, when people come to church to
attend the mass, they see church closed. Priest who comes out speaks about the
condition of life and they leave. Then kella with her children leave the place
and moves to her mother’s house. Chava is worried as he reached his Twelfth
birthday.
Information reaches to Chava from Beto that
recruitment is going to happen tomorrow, they are going to recruit everyone
bigger and smaller. Chava with his other friends writes about it in paper and
spreads it in the whole village. When the army people came to search for
children everyone hides on their
rooftops including Chava. Later a soldier comes to know about the
information paper passed by Chava without any notice they come to the village
to take the children. Chava and a few escape same way by hiding on the rooftop.
An old man is shown many times moving with his cart, in this scene it is shown
that 2 boys are in the cart hidden and the old man is saving them from getting
caught.
Whole night they stayed
their counting the stars. Next morning, chava leaves for Maria’s house &
finds her house was bombed and she is dead. Chava and his other friends decide
to join the Guerilla force, at night they leave their home and reache Guerilla
force camp. Military soldiers following
them attack the camp Chava and his other friends are arrested. Next day,
morning Kella was informed that the military force burning all places &
Chava missing.
Chava marches towards
his death with other friends. The place is filled with dead bodies like a war
field. Two get shot and gun points on him & then Guerilla force attacks.
Chava escapes, on the way he sees an army man & points a gun at him, then
he comes to know that it was a boy. He throws the gun and leaves the place. The
scene was like a young boy’s life in another young boys hand.
Chava reached his home
looks through the place fully burnt. Later, kella comes there and both leave
the place. Chava is sent to US to avoid getting caught from Salvadorian Army.
His brother says “now I will be the man of the house”this shows that the consequences continue in his
life too.
Innocent voices, life of Incendies.
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