State of Silence

Brave journalists in action in Mexico, where they are attacked, forced into exile and even murdered for trying to report the truth. In a country where drug cartels and the government are an almost equal threat, it takes a lot of courage to keep going. Inspiring documentary about true present-day heroes.  

Since 2000, more than 160 journalists have been murdered in Mexico and over 30 remain missing, just for exercising their profession. A staggering 99 per cent of these cases remain unpunished. This is possible because of what journalist Marcos Vizcarra calls ‘the impunity pact’: both the drug cartels and the government are threatened by the work of journalists, making them completely unprotected.  

So to say that journalism is a high-risk occupation in Mexico is an understatement. State of Silence portrays a wide range of Mexican journalists who nevertheless stay committed to their job. Like Marcos Vizcarra, who works in Sinaloa, a state overrun by the cartels. He reports on people who ‘disappeared’, gives a voice to their families and talks to investigators uncovering their mass graves. ‘Let’s go do some field work!’ as he puts it. During one of his jobs we see him caught in the middle of a fire fight between cartels and the army. Still, he keeps chasing stories and uncovering the truth. Because as journalist Daniela Pastrana says in the film: ‘Not going because it’s dangerous? That’s no option for a journalist.’  

Activist Marcos Vizcarra will be present at the Q&As for State of Silence at the festival.