Devil’s Freedom

Everardo González's 2017 Mexican documentary records both sides of violence in the same way: victims and perpetrators. Everyone wears a beige mask covering the face; only the eyes and the voice remain, and it is not immediately clear who is on which side. The mask is both a matter of safety and a formal decision: the viewer cannot read a face and is forced to listen. Some of what is told concerns abduction, torture and execution; some is the story of the child gunmen who carried them out. The film forgives nobody but shows how violence is produced. It is extremely heavy to watch. Who it's for: viewers interested in violence in Latin America and formally bold documentary. Who it's not for: anyone avoiding accounts of torture and murder, or looking for hope.