Innocent Voices Page #3

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Brothers...

...there will be no mass today.

But I want to speak|to you here...

...on the street.

I want to speak to everyone.

The word of Our Father|must also be heard...

...by those who have not yet|found grace within themselves.

What is grace, brothers?

Grace is the presence|of the Divine...

...in every one of our actions.

Look around you.

The faces of our children|have lost their innocent spirit.

In its place,|there is fear.

Because our children have|lost the hope to survive.

The skeptics say, if God|existed, there would be no war.

And I respond...

...if men would obey the word of|God, then there would be no war!

Because God, Our Father...

...has given man the privilege|to live in grace...

...or, on the contrary,|to provoke disgrace.

I assure you, brothers,|when one lives in the grace of God...

...war does not exist.

Nevertheless...

...there are those who|ignore their own divine nature...

...and they satisfy|themselves by robbing...

...humiliating and killing|their own kind!

Brothers...

...it is the time to raise|our voices against them.

To defend our right to live!

To use our strength|to oppose the force of death.

Today, brothers,|it is not enough to pray.

They closed the school for good.

Ancha, hurry,|walk faster!

Because our village was|between the guerrilla and the army...

...mom decided to move us|to the other side of the river.

Because she said it was safer.

Grandma Mama Toya!

Boys!

No, Ancha. The table!

I like my new house.

Why did you change the station?

Put on Radio Venceremos.

Fito! Shhh.

What's up, shorty?

- When are you coming back to work?|- When I grow up!

Then you're never coming back!

Where are you going?!

You're on! Let's go!

You're going to run|out of gas, shorty!

What's wrong little boy,|what's wrong...

Shut up, boys!

...they ask me at school and at home.

Now I know all of the sudden...

...when I heard roll call|and she was not there.

The girl with the blue backpack...

...and sleepy eyes...

Got me very excited|and low grades.

Super bomb!

Super bomb!

- Antonio!|- What's up?

- Where have you been?|- What are you doing here?

Just hanging around.

Look at me, like a monk.

Every day, more a hunk.

- Yeah, right.|- Who do you think you are?

Come on, let's play.

Do you know how to skip stones?

When we arrived at the army base|we we're more than 40...

...the majority 13|and 14 years old.

I was one of the youngest,|but I learned fast...

...because our teacher was a Gringo|who had been in Vietnam.

He showed us how to shoot|and ambush.

Last week we ambushed some|guerrilla motherfuckers...

...and I was the one who|caught them with this.

You guys are next.

They're recruiting everybody.

Big ones...

...and little ones.

So... are you still a|bunch of chicken shits?

- I'm not a chicken sh*t!|- Me neither.

F***ing chicken shits.

Don't call us that.

You'll be pissing your pants|when they come to recruit you...

...like the chicken|shits that you are.

Chicken shits!

Chicken shits!

Chavitita!

Don't be scared.|It's me, Raton.

I heard shots last night.

Was it you guys?

- We cleaned out the area.|- And uncle Beto?

He sent a message.

The army is recruiting tomorrow.|Warn your friends.

Hide.

Okay, drivers, you know what to do.|One under each door.

Let's go!

Recruitment tomorrow

Where are the boys, lady?

I haven't seen them since this morning!

Where are they, lady?

- Sergeant, there are no boys!|- Keep searching!

...9...

...10...

...11...

...12.

Did we count right?|Chava is 11.

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to you, dear Chava!

Chava!

Wait, Chava!

Chava!

Chava!

You run fast.

Here. Open it.

It's batteries for your radio.

Toad.

Thanks.

Recruitment tomorrow

We've got a snitch.

Chava!

Chava!

What happened?

Chava! Chava!

Father! Father!

They're going to kill Raton!|Help him!

They took him to the river!

- Where's the priest?|- The soldiers took him yesterday.

Don Yeyo.

Chava!|Did you know fat Marcos left?

- Where?|- To join the guerrilla.

- When?|- I don't know.

- Chava!|- What?

Maybe we should go too?

- To join the guerrilla?|- Well, what else?

Let's count them.

Look at that one!

There's another one!

We would stay there all night.

One time we counted|up to 230.000 stars.

I wanted to tell Cristina Mara.

First I thought|I was on the wrong street.

That it wasn't her house.

Hey, kid!|Where are you going?

Let me go!

Let me go!|Let me go!

Chava! Chava!

I have reasons|to look for you,

I have the need to see you,|to hear you, to talk to you.

I have reasons|to wait for you,

Because I don't believe there is anyone|in the world I can love.

I have reasons,|more than enough reasons,

To ask the wind to return|you even as a shadow.

I have reasons|to not want to forget you,

Because that little piece of happiness,|it was you who gave it to me.

- Chava, let's go.|- We know where to go.

Marco's mom said we have to get|to the Carita hill.

Turn off the light!|Shut up!

- Who else is with you?|- No one.

Shut up!|Follow me.

Sleep here. Tomorrow we'll|see what to do with you.

Chele, Chava!

Silence! No names here.|Lie down!

- Do you have anything to eat?|- Cookies.

Shut up!

Lie down and go to sleep!

- Want one?|- Yes.

Hands on your heads!

Wake up!|Wake up!

What's wrong?

We've to go. The soldiers are coming.|They're burning everything down.

Grab their clothes!|Get dressed. Hurry!

- Where are we going?|- I don't know.

For now, into town|with everyone else. Let's go!

Baby, wake up.

- Where's your brother?|- I don't know.

- Where are we going, grandma?|- We have to leave.

- Chava!|- We have to hurry.

- Because of the bullets?|- Yes, because of the bullets.

Chava! Chava!

The Birth Certificates,|where are they?

Put your and your|brother's clothes here.

His clothes are gone.

And his good shoes.

Where's my brother, mommy?

Let's go.

I'm so thirsty...

...and my feet hurt.

I have rocks in my shoes.

Take the sewing machine.

I'm going to look for him!

Soldier go home!

Your house is being burned|by a soldier like you.

Murderers! Murderers!

Chava!

Chava!

Mommy?

Let's go away from here.

His documents are here.

I didn't want you to sell|your sewing machine.

Don't worry about us.

Promise me you'll be strong.

- Promise|- I promise.

- Bye, farty sister.|- See you.

Be careful.

Bye, brother! I'll miss you!

Take care of yourself!

Now I'll be the man|of the house.

I don't want to go|to the United States.

But if I stay,|they're going to kill me.

But I'm coming back...

...because I promised mom,|I would get Ricardito out before he turns 12.

This story could have been told|by Fito or Chele or Cristina Mara.

But it was left up to me.

It's for them.

Chava escaped to the United States|where, with the help of many|he reunited with his family 6 years later.

The civil war lasted with more than|75,000 deaths, and around one million exiles.

The United States government|sent troops to train...

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