Indie Film of the Month - Innocent Voices
There are several moments of magical lyricism amidst the carnage and despair.
The Civil War that raged in El Salvador throughout the '80s is the backdrop for this harrowing yet moving drama based on screenwriter Oscar Torres' own childhood experiences. With boys being conscripted straight from their classroom when they reach their twelfth birthday, eleven year old Chava (Carlos Padilla) lives in fear of his day coming, as well as trying to survive the constant crossfire between the government forces and the local guerillas. He also has to accept his responsibilities as the man of the house, all the while trying to retain some semblance of a normal childhood, and it's in these scenes that director Luis Mandoki manages to unearth several moments of magical lyricism amidst the carnage and despair. All the youngsters deliver strong performances but Padilla is especially impressive, carrying the often overwhelming emotion on his narrow shoulders. Interestingly, the distributors have chosen to make a cut (really just a subtitle alteration) for language in order to obtain a 12A certificate, something they were keen to achieve as they believe the film would be very well received by children. Even so, the intensity of some of the action may prove too much for a young audience and caution should be advised. [Paul Greenwood]