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Review

It’s the early 1980s in El Salvador. Eleven-year-old Chava will be 11 years old again at his next birthday, since the army is conscripting 12-year-old boys for their depleted forces. Chava’s father abandoned his family when the war began, and Chava takes up the role of man of the house, looking for work when the day ends at his barbed-wire-encircled school. Nighttime firefights are commonplace; the children learn to quickly hit the deck and scramble behind whatever furniture they have, dodging bullets, sometimes, incongruously, playing games to distract themselves from the carnage just outside their door. Director Mandoki captures with equal elegance the beauty of the countryside and the horror of these conditions, which are insane. Preteens find themselves forced to choose between the army and the growing rebel forces, but have no options that do not include carrying a gun — other than flight. Screenwriter Torres lived the tale he relates, and many if not most of the story elements directly correlate to incidents in his life. This film is delicately poignant and unflinchingly harsh. Every tender moment is interrupted by gunfire: an evening spent sailing paper fireflies against a million stars ends in explosions and miserable loss. The actors are flawless; most especially Padilla as Chava, who carries the film on his slight shoulders with great heart. With forced conscription of children into armies a present-day and worldwide occurrence, Innocent Voices tells a 25-year-old story which plays out anew every day. (Spanish with English subtitles)

 -- Ann Yarabinee