Keswick Film Club - La Antena

Synopsis

"Once upon a time there was a city without a voice. Somebody had taken away the voices of all its inhabitants. Many, many years went by and nobody seemed bothered by the silence."

In this quirky sci-fi fantasy from Argentina there is rarely a human voice - Mr TV has seen to that - but sound and language have not died, because there is noise, text ("They have taken our voices but we still have words,") and music, and even the one exception of the dictator's favourite singer. Plots and counter-plots ensue in this alluring allegory that, ironically, employs the language of silent film to salute the power of free speech.

'Sometimes cinema tickles the senses, sometimes it tugs at the heartstrings, sometimes it exercises the intellect - but La Antena transmits to all three at once. For Sapir's film is visually beautiful, mentally stimulating, and thoroughly haunting...it would be dumb not to tune in to this extraordinary film.' ANTON BITEL, EYE FOR FILM