Speaking in codes and taking all kinds of security measures became the norm for us. We had never felt so paranoid as we did during those months spent near her. The crew and I couldn’t shake off a feeling of unease. It was a known fact that Carmen was under surveillance through a malware called Pegasus, and being close to her automatically meant that we became a target, too. JF: When we shot the film, the social and political climate in Mexico was very tense - to say the least - and we could feel it on a personal level. W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
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I would love it if the audience could walk out of the movie inspired by Carmen’s strength and resistance and that they see in her all the other people in the world who decide not to sit back and remain complacent. Even the smallest action carried out by someone can be paramount for change. The act of resistance is worthwhile, as is fighting for a cause in difficult times. Rather than reflect on the matter while watching my film, I would like for the audience to get a sense, on an emotional level, of the danger Carmen and her team face every day, and to try and connect with the perilous realities experienced by independent journalists, especially in certain countries where freedom of speech is often threatened. They cannot survive without funding and there are great risks behind losing this profession, which are ever so important for the public and society in general. We should all ask ourselves: whose interests is the press responding to? In a time where fake news is abundant, we must defend the work of independent journalists and measure their importance. JF: If there was one thing I would hope the audience in general would walk away with, it is an appreciation for the independent press. W&H: What do you want people to think about after they watch the film? It was clear to me that I needed to not be complicit by remaining silent. I decided to canalize my anger, frustration, and feelings of helplessness through the creation of a documentary film that could, in some way, restore Carmen’s voice. Unsure of what would happen next, I started writing “Radio Silence” in a bid to somehow get a voice back. I couldn’t help but think that if this could happen to one of the most important and renowned journalists in Mexico, what were hundreds of less visible journalists up against on a daily basis?Īfter hearing about the worst possible atrocities going on in the country that year, I was profoundly at a loss for words - and Carmen’s sudden absence on the airwaves felt like a double amputation. When her voice was silenced that same year due to censorship, a sense of helplessness came over me and her millions of listeners. After moving to Switzerland as an adult, her voice was not only an essential tool to keep me informed on the current events in Mexico in general, but specifically to try and decipher what was going on in 2015, amidst a climate of violence that had overtaken the country. She was my main source of news and she helped me open my eyes to the social and political reality of my country. JF: Since I was a teenager, I would listen to Carmen on the radio. And, as a result, change still seems possible. In that context, Carmen’s somewhat optimistic point of view brings a glance of hope in an otherwise seemingly hopeless situation. Through this encounter, I aim to create a film essay where the link between the official discourse and the one I believe to be true is evident, and to ask myself how Mexico ended up knee-deep in a spiral of extreme violence, corruption and impunity.
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JF: “ Radio Silence” is my encounter with my country’s most renowned journalist, Carmen Aristegui, in one of the most critical moments of her professional career amidst a complex and violent year for Mexico. W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words. You can find more information on the fest’s website. This year’s fest has gone digital due to COVID-19, and runs June 11- 20. “Radio Silence” will screen in the New York edition of the 2020 Human Rights Watch Film Festival. She received a Masters in Cinema Studies through a joint program between ECAL (Ecole Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne) and HEAD (Haute Ecole d’Art et Design) in Geneva.
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Juliana Fanjul received a BA in Visual Communication and attended the documentary department at EICTV (International Cinema and TV School of San Antonio de las Banos).
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