Innocent Voices (120 mins.; R: violence, language)
(published 11/10/05)
A powerful, poignant, and painful portrait of the civil war in El Salvador, as well as an engaging and authentic coming-of-age story, this tale is told through the eyes of Chava (Carlos Padilla), a rural boy for whom adolescence means first love, first jobs, and impending forced recruitment into the very army that keeps his village up at night with machine gunfire. Based on writer Oscar Orlando Torres's childhood experiences, the film gives a personal and heartbreaking view of the casualties of war-not the least of which is loss of innocence. It's a well-told story with rich Salvadoran landscapes, impressive acting, and just the right balance of weight and light-heartedness. (MF)Carpinteria Plaza
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