El silencio es bienvenido (2017)
El silencio es bienvenido
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Why watch this film?
This movie, selected at the International Film Festival in Guadalajara 2017, is the directorial debut of Gabriela García Rivas. 'Silence is Welcome', with its naturalistic staging and elements from the road movie and coming of age subgenres, is the kind of film that portrays the everyday life of a human group, in the same vein as Mexican productions such as 'Club sandwich' by Fernando Eimbcke, 'Semana Santa' by Alejandra Márquez Abella, or its contemporary 'Los años azules' by Sofía Gómez Córdova. At first glance, it may seem like nothing is happening, but subtle details of the past and cracks in the present in family relationships are revealed. However, this movie is also the fruit of its social and temporal context, specifically the growing violence in Mexico by drug trafficking and army groups, which has resulted in restrictions on freedom of movement (or worse). The pacing and mundanity of 'Silence is Welcome' may be challenging for some viewers, but it also captures something very powerful: the way life can take irreversible turns in a blink of an eye and without warning.
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