Year Produced: 2004

English Synopsis:
Multi Award Winner - Based on the true story of screenwiter Oscar Torres's embattled childhood, Luis Mandoki's Innocent Voices is the poignant tale of Chava (Carlos Padilla), an eleven-year-old boy who suddenly becomes the 'man of the house' after his father abandons the family in the middle of a civil war. In El Salvador in the 1980s, the government armed forces are already recruiting twelve year olds, rousting them out of their classes at the local middle school. If he is lucky, Chava has just one year of innocence left, one year before he too, will be conscripted to fight the government's battle against the peasant rebels of the FMLN. Chava's life becomes a game of survival, not only from the bullets of the escalating war, but also from the dispiriting effects of daily violence. As he hustles to find work to help his mother pay the bills, and experiences the pangs of first love for a beautiful classmate, Chava's tiny home village becomes both playground and battlefield. Armed ony with the love of his mother (Leonor Varela) and a small radio that broadcasts a forbidden anthem of love and peace, and faced with in imoossible choice of joining either the army or the rebels, Chava finds the courage to keep his heart open, and his spirit alive, in his race against time. * Spanish or Portugues audio with English, Spanish, Portugues sub-titles, Widescreen Region 1 & 4 DVD * Film Festivals Awards: 2005 Seattle Int'l Film Festival - Best Picture Audience Award, 2005 The Imagen Foundation Hunanitarian Award, Shares the Producers Guild of America's 2005 Stanley Kramer Award with Hotel Rwanda for work that highlights social issues, 2005 San Diego Film Festival - Jury Best Picture Award and Audience Award, 2005 Sonoma Valley Film Festival - Audience Award, 2005 Santa Barbara Film Festival - Audience Award, 2005 River Run Film Festival - Jury Best Picture Award and Best Foreign Language Film Award and Best Screenplay Award, 2005 Filmfest DC - Audience Award, 2005 Heartland Film Festival, 2005 Xicaninde Denver Film Festival - Jury Best Picture Award and Audience Award, 2005 Mexico's Official Oscar Entry-Best Foreign Language Film, 2005 Berlinale -Best Picture Crystal Bear Award (Kinderfest), 2005 Puerto Vallarta Film Festival - Best Picture Award, 2005 International Human Rights Film Festival Official Entry, 2005 Amnesty International Seattle Film Fest Official Entry, 2005 Crystal Heart Award Winner, 2004 Morelia International Film Festival Official Entry, 2004 Toronto Film Festival Official entry

Spanish Synopsis:
Durante la década de los 80’s en El Salvador, las fuerzas armadas del gobierno reclutaban niños de doce años, sacándolos de sus escuelas. Si Chava tiene suerte, aun le resta un año de inocencia, un año antes de que él también sea enrolado y luche la batalla del gobierno contra los rebeldes del ejército FMLN. La vida de Chava se convierte en un juego de supervivencia, no solo de las balas de la Guerra, sino también de los efectos desoladores de la violencia diaria. Mientras lucha por encontrar trabajo para ayudar a su madre, y experimenta el primer amor por una Hermosa compañera de clase, el pequeño pueblo de Chava se transforma en campo de juego y de guerra. Con el amor de su madre (LEONOR VARELA) como única arma, una pequeña radio que transmite un prohibido himno de amor y paz, y con la imposible decisión de tener que unirse al ejército o a los rebeldes, Chava encuentra otra opción. Subtitulos: Ingles, Espanol, Portugues Menus: Espanol, Portugues

User Reviews:

raquel (Reviewed: August 6, 2006)
cathedRAL, CA - Product Rating: 5 of 5
YOU MUST BUY
dre (Reviewed: February 26, 2007)
ny, ny - Product Rating: 5 of 5
very well put together..
Steven Rios (Reviewed: September 24, 2007)
Madera, CA - Product Rating: 5 of 5
THIS MOVIE IS EXCELLENT!!! 5 STARS!!!

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Key to viewing levels:
P - Primary (Pre-school - 1st Grade)
I - Intermediate (2nd - 6th Grade)
J - Junior High (7th - 9th Grade)
H - High School (10th - 12th Grade)
C - College/University
A - Adult