THE SILENCE OF NETO

THE SILENCE OF NETO, a strong directorial debut by Luis Argueta, is the first feature film ever made in Guatemala. It tells the poignant story of a Guatemalan boy coming of age at a crucial moment in his country's history. In 1954, the year Neto turns eleven, a CIA-sponsored invasion overthrows the democratically elected government of his country. The film gravitates around Neto's relationship with his uncle, Ernesto, who gives him his first traditional paper hot-air ballloons that only “grown-ups” can launch. Through a simple story, strong characthers, and a fluid narrative, THE SILENCE OF NETO chronicles its young hero's passage into adolescence with its universal experiences and feelings. The result is a movie told with tenderness and heart that paints a portrait of a country we've never seen before. In Spanish with English Subtitles.