An award-winning feature documentary filmed in Caracas during the height of Venezuela’s political crisis in 2003. Shot inside a single family home, the film captures the intimate, everyday consequences of a nation deeply divided.
The documentary was filmed in Airam Cordido’s family home during two shooting periods in February and October 2003, at a time when the country was under the leadership of Hugo Chávez and political tensions permeated all aspects of daily life. An animated prologue opens the film, providing historical and emotional context before entering the observational core of the documentary.
Diálogo de sordos · Caracas 2003
Documentary chronicles directed by Vanessa Mujica.
In co-production: Agora Films & Azul Profundo Films, with the participation of TV10 Angers and the CNC.
Synopsis
Inside her grandmother’s house, 28-year-old Gabriela lives alongside a family whose political views sharply oppose her own. While Gabriela is openly anti-Chávez, most members of the household support the government. Their ideological differences erupt into constant arguments that mirror the broader fractures of Venezuelan society.
Televisions run continuously in every room, each tuned to a channel aligned with the beliefs of its occupant. Conflicting news broadcasts invade the domestic space, fueling tension and reinforcing division. Politics seeps into every corner of daily life: conversations, routines, relationships.
When Gabriela announces she is pregnant, the family is forced to confront a fragile question: can the promise of new life momentarily soften political divides, or are these fractures too deeply embedded to heal?
Artistic approach
The film adopts an intimate, observational approach, allowing moments to unfold within the confined space of the house. By focusing on family dynamics rather than public demonstrations, Dialogue of the Deaf reveals how political conflict infiltrates private life.
The animated introduction, “Brief Venezuelan Story,” provides a historical and emotional framework for the film. Written by historian América Bracho and animated by Pierre Guex, it draws on political animation as a narrative device, setting the tone for the documentary that follows.
Production details
- Location: Caracas
- Shootings: February 2003 & October 2003
- Format: DV Cam · Color
- Duration: 55 min
- Production year: 2004
Credits
Original idea: Airam Cordido
Directed by Vanessa Mujica
Image / direct sound: Vanessa Mujica
Editing: Carolina Aular
Animation: Pierre Guex
Music: Rodolfo Vivas (Bandasonoraonline) & Guerrilla Seca
Executive producer: Alain Guesnier
Co-producer: Javier Mujica
Production: Agora Films, Azul Profundo Films, TV10 Angers
With the participation of the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC)
Festivals & awards
Press
Behind the scenes
Animation · “Brief Venezuelan Story”
Written by América Bracho. Animation by Pierre Guex.
Full documentary
Written by Airam Cordido. Directed by Vanessa Mujica.