The Silence of the Impenetrable is a documentary directed by Ignacio Robayna that, in 71 minutes, tells a dramatic story in the midst of the process undertaken by various NGOs to declare the Estancia La Fidelidad (in Chaco) as a national park.
Although Ignacio confesses in an interview for Minuto Argentina that at the beginning the idea of doing this Project was to show how the fight for the conservation and reintroduction of the jaguar was progressing in this region of the country, after encountering a police story full of unsolved enigmas, the documentary becomes what it is today The Silence of the Impenetrable.
In this way, The Silence of the Impenetrable It shows, on the one hand, the family drama that is experienced due to the murder of Manuel Roseo, the owner of the La Fidelidad ranch, who in 2011 was murdered by the mafia; and on the other, it narrates the struggle of different NGOs to convert this territory, of 250 thousand hectares of Chaco forest, into a protected area.
But in the midst of this process, a judicial investigation was also taking place, which reveals an important case of corruption. In addition to the deep gaps that exist in legal matters in the country to protect natural resourcesthen, in most cases, these types of ecosystems are devastated for the benefit of a few.
As the story was full of ups and downs and unanswered questions, the judicial process was also unanswered, so as the police investigation progressed, the Chaco authorities took action in this regard, which showed that the issue of conservation, the central focus of this film, was not a priority issue for those who have the power to make decisions.
Despite the efforts of NGOs to declare Estancia La Fidelidad a national park, achieving it was not so easy and, in the midst of it, the enormous biodiversity found in this area of the country was the most affected.
Ignacio says that for him as a filmmaker it was very important to talk about how the behind a conservation project of this magnitude is developed, since, in the first instance, he sought to make visible the different conservation strategies that are carried out in Chaco by the jaguar, since in this area of the country this species is practically extinct.
But I also wanted to tell this story to show all the work behind it, by many people and organizations, to create a national park, since, as citizens, when you visit this type of space, you do it more with a tourist sense. , which makes us forget a little about the work and management that is carried out to protect, care for and conserve these ecosystems and all the biodiversity they harbor.
“One of the other things that attracted me was that tomorrow, when people go to visit Estancia La Fidelidad, which today is El Impenetrable National Park, located in the Chaco, they learn about the work of the park rangers. , the work of the different NGOs. Let it be known what they did so that today you can walk and explore those 150,000 hectares” that were protected.
Ignacio also highlights in an interview for this newspaper that although in recent years the issue of conservation has become a boom, little is known about the processes that are being carried out in favor of, so essential part of this movie It is precisely to show and make visible this work, because although the documentary “portrays only a small percentage of what that fight was”, it is a truly heroic story.
Production, the biggest challenge
Just as the story was challenging, so was the production, since, after the first visit to Chaco in 2016 to start building the project, it was only in 2019, just before the coronavirus pandemic, that they managed to complete the project. filming.
In this sense, the director points out that one of the most difficult parts of getting the film off the ground was being able to obtain the testimonies he has, especially that of Manuel Roseo’s widow, who at first refused to participate but finally, and to surprise of the same production, then he agreed.
But just like that of the widow, other testimonies were also difficult to obtain: we must not forget that behind all this story a judicial process of a murder was taking place, that of Manuel Roseo. In this sense, addressing the issue was also challenging, since they are delicate and sensitive aspects, since, in the midst of the corruption case that existed, politicians, lawyers, notaries, and public figures were involved.
Even the director says that when people found out about the subject of the documentary, “certain tension” was generated. However, the difficulties that arose and the same challenges that the production had to face to achieve the film served as an incentive during the same process, which allowed them to achieve in the end not only a documentary of the highest quality, but also been recognized in multiple festivals.
Ignacio expresses that although as a director he was clear about what and how the beginning and end of the project were going to be, he also highlights that the great result that was obtained was thanks to the work of a great team that participated in both the production and the post production.
In this sense, Robayna highlights the accompaniment of El Rompehielos, the producer of the documentary film; by Fernando Urdapilleta; who worked as cinematographer and screenwriter on the film, and of Kike Colombo, editor.
It also highlights the work of Cromo Música and Andy Colombo, who were in charge of filling the project with life with the musical composition, which not only organically accompanies each moment of the film, but also manages to immerse the viewer minute by minute. minute in the whole story.
Beyond the police drama that frames the documentary, it really manages to reflect the struggle behind this process, for more than 6 years, by different NGOs to declare the impenetrable Chaco a national park and, in this sense, It also invites us to reflect on what kind of measures are being taken by the Government to protect and conserve these natural areas..
This, since, as the director of The Silence of the Impenetrablein order to achieve something in terms of conservation, the work of NGOs is not enough, but the support of the State is strongly required: “Without the support, without the measures of a Government, whatever the country, everything is Too complex”.
Although as a filmmaker he did not seek to leave a particular message with the documentary, since he considers that “every viewer draws the same conclusions”, without a doubt, this story has managed to transcend borders and not only surprise the public, but also win important awards at different festivals. National and international.
Among them, the film won the RAFMA Award, the Audience Vote Award and the Special Mention Award in Argentina at the International Environmental Film Festival (FINCA). Also the Public Vote Award at the Patagonia Eco Film Festival (PEFF). In addition, the feature film was officially selected at the Cine de las Alturas Festival (Argentina) and the Green Film Festival (FESTIVER), in Barichara, Colombia.
Now, both Ignacio and the rest of the production hope that the documentary will continue in the festival stage, so they plan to take the film to the United States, since were selected at the WCFF (Wildlife Conservation Film Festival), a prestigious festival that promotes films that address the issue of sustainability and conservation.
Source: PEFF
Likewise, they plan to take the production to Europe by the end of the year and hope that, in 2023, it can be presented on different platforms and cinemas in the country to close everything that was this successful process with a flourish.
This is not the director’s first film, since in 2013 he premiered his first documentary: “Voces de Latinoamérica”, a project in which he also talks about the conservation of species and which was awarded as best documentary on Ibero-American Ethnic Culture and best Argentine social feature film at the Platino Awards in Spain. But with him Silence of the Impenetrable Ignacio managed to tell a unique story, but above all real, that invites us to value the work behind the conservation processes and to take action to protect, before it’s too late, the source of everything: natural resources.
