Zienema: La Antena

Director Esteban Sapir uses silent film as an allegory for the lost voices of the oppressed and the monopolization of media. The film combines modern cinematography with stylistic choices drawing from masters like Georges Méliès and Fritz Lang - sound and spoken text play an essential role. Original set design and cartoonish visual language go hand in hand with camerawork reminiscent of cinema's early days.

The story unfolds in a metropolis in an unknown future, where the population has lost its voice. People communicate only by forming words with their lips, which then appear as speech bubbles in the air. The tyrannical Mr. TV holds a monopoly on both language and visual language, forcing the population to consume what he offers - whether food or media.

The only person who still possesses a voice is the mysterious singer La Voz, who hides her face behind a hood. She is kidnapped by Mr. TV, who wants to use her for a plan to gain total control over his population through dangerous new technology. An inventor who witnesses the abduction decides to take action himself. The film is nearly twenty years old, but its themes feel disturbingly relevant in our current world.