Silencio en el paraíso

It's been long since I cried watching a movie. 'Silence in Paradise' is based in real events happening during government of former president Alvaro Uribe, who by the way should be prosecuted by the International Court. The situations portrayed are real and a true image of the poor young men in Colombia. A movie you should watch with guts and a handkerchief. Every colombian who still thinks peace was a gift to guerrillas and it shouldn't exist, might think twice after watching the film why deceit, corruption and poverty are the worst violence of all.

Today, thanks to the hard work of The Truth Commission, we know that 6404 people were killed by the Colombian army between 2002 and 2010, in Álvaro Uribe's government. This victims were disguised as guerrilleros and paramilitary and shown as terrorists killed in combat. The more people were presented as kills, more money and upgrades the soldiers received. We are talking about a systematic genocide created and financed by the Colombian government. "Silencio en el Paraíso" is the story of one of this victims, a young boy who struggles in a hard neighborhood in Bogota, just to go back home with some money to help his family.

It's a sad film, but necessary. In the construction of historical memory, every story is valuable.

This film leaves a lingering discomfort, portraying a narrative with numerous unresolved questions and underdeveloped subplots. Yet, this intentional effect on the viewer mirrors the harsh reality of innocent lives lost. Despite the apparent focus on Ronald as the central character, the movie transcends him; his context, the settings, and the ambient sounds collectively emerge as the genuine protagonists. The film effectively captures the economic and social conditions surrounding the tragic occurrences of "falsos positivos" Notably, it succeeds in portraying the victims with diversity, avoiding idealization and presenting them as complex individuals with both strengths and flaws. Francisco's performance stands out as phenomenal, while the other actors, although overshadowed, should be interpreted within the given context.

A kind of anti-promotion for the city of Bogota in Colombia where the urban squalor is home to a variety of people living their lives. The young man at the centre of the action resourcefully acts as a bike mounted hawker who finds both sex and love before being caught up in a quite shocking military scam. The voices of the mothers of the disappeared provides a poignant conclusion to this stunning film.