“Little Voices,” a film which looks at Colombia’s conflict through the eyes of children, will be the first Colombian animation to compete at the Venice Film Festival in September.
The film took seven years to make, and uses testimonials and drawings from young residents of the Bogota neighborhoods Cazuca Heights, Ciudad Bolivar, and Soacha to portray a unique, innocent perspective on the armed conflict.
“The participation of ‘Little Voices’ in Venice confirms the momentum of Colombian cinema and its process of internationalization; this is the second consecutive year in which we are in this festival, which is a window for new film talent in the world,” said Adelfa Martinez, director of cinematography at Colombia’s Ministry of Culture.
“Little Voices” will vie for the $100,000 “Lion of the Future” prize with up-and-coming movie-makers from around the world.
The film was directed by Jairo Carrillo and Oscar Andrade, who both have extensive backgrounds in the Colombian film industry and were delighted by the inclusion of their work in the prestigious European festival.
“How exciting! After so much work, there is a reward,” Carrillo said.
The film is set to be released to the public in March next year, and Carrillo hopes to distribute the movie to schools for free, alongside educational booklets for students.