The Silent Chaos March 21, 2014

Peeter Riba writes about Antonio Spanò's film "The Silent Chaos"
An uncomfortable and incredible truth in the documentary film may be a logical solution. Not all films are made about enjoyable and romantic stories with which to warm up ones cold heart. But do Europeans care, for example that in recent years 5 million people have been killed in Congo? If yes, to what extent? A similar discussion arose recently in connection with the interference into the chaos in Central African Republic. Of course it can not concern Marianne Mikko who as a weak personality has gotten an overdose of glamorous life of a Member of the European Parliament. But what about any normal person? When Bob Geldof, an inveterate idealist, decided to end the famine in Ethiopia by organising a charity concert with the most famous musicians, there was initially no reason to take him too seriously .

Antonio Spanò filmed in the middle of the chaos in Congo. He concentrates to the life of deaf people (whose condition is mostly a result of childhood meningitis) in the centre of war zone. The topic is delicate. The way society treats those who are not normal in the standard understanding also says a lot about the society itself. As far as Congo, we can see that there is superstition, expulsion, physical violence and murder without any conscience. Living in Congo is a brave venture, but also to go out there and do something for the society's weakest link requires courage. Which I guess can not be expected of every average filmmaker interested in anthropology.

But there is something else in this film. Something that I haven't noticed very often in the young genre of Maailmafilm. Here you can see great cinematic tradition - Italian cinema - an aesthetic approach, skills and experience. The viewer's emotions are caught and trapped already in the first scene and it seems that there is no turning back from there. This is definitely a film that I would recommend Estonian National Television to show. It has a so-called journalistic message that is strong and important, but nevertheless it is a very creative film. An interesting combination considering that Italy, in a popular perception, is thought to have probably the most superficial attitude to culture. This film offers a chance to Polish plumbers and Estonian bus drivers to experience something new