A youth of the district comes to be murdered

To denounce the massacre of dolphins to the Japan, Louie Psyhoyos team took foolish risks. After sixteen months during the Salvadoran gang, Christian Poveda was murdered.

In the 1960s, O'Barry had become rich and famous series "Flipper", in which he was trainer. One day, however, becoming aware of the lethal stress were dolphins in captivity, it veered cassocks. Since then, he multiplies the spectacular actions to stop the trafficking of live dolphins (each animal destined for worldwide amusement parks is sold 150,000 dollars) or dead (killed for their meat, they are $ 600).

These actions, O'Barry leads to the risk of his life. Because the powerful lobby taken away by the Japanese, guilty of the destruction of 23,000 dolphins per year, has coated it his black list. As soon as it points in the area of Taiji, activist (who is obliged to dress, sometimes as a woman) is taken in spinning by the police and local gangs. To achieve this documentary, he used the great means of apnea world champions responsible for underwater shooting, surfers, helicopters and remotely operated hot air balloon, specialists in covert operations in techniques of commando, fighter professional treasure and top flight scientists. A designer of Spielberg has even created fake rocks of agrobusiness concealing minicaméras than swimmers equipped with infrared glasses went ask night on real rocks!

The result is dramatic and effective. This battle was not conducted in vain: Japanese fisheries officials have been sacked, the 2009 campaign has been suspended and dolphin meat full of mercury imposed on small Japanese menus was removed canteens. It was worth a standing ovation! It is quite rare that public applause in the middle of a film. This is what happened at the last festival of Deauville during the screening of "the cove". The man who caused this huge round of applause, Richard O'Barry, was in the room accompanied by Director Louie Psyhoyos and its Distributor Luc Besson.

The prison or the death

Soyapango, East of the Salvadoran capital, La Campanera is in mourning. A youth of the district comes to be murdered. A vigil is organised, all his friends "pandilleros" (members of a gang) are there for him to pay a last tribute. He was part of the Mara 18 gang in this piece of territory. A territory that they defend against their sworn enemy, the other gang, the Mara Salvatrucha.

Filmmaker Christian Poveda shot members of the Mara 18 every day for sixteen months. Through the life of "The Chucky", "El bamban" or "The Liro", it plunges us in the heart of their ultraviolet daily. With an average national of 3.174 murders in 2008, or about 10 killings per day, these young people have for main perspective prison or death. Having started his career as a photographer at the El Salvador in the civil war, Poveda had his country of adoption for many years. He first started by a photographic to locations and to establish a relationship of trust. Then he took permission to film. The idea of the documentary has been proposed to the two rival gangs, only the "18" accepted, seduced by the duration of filming, and no doubt convinced of the sincerity of the Director. With the endorsement of the highest levels of the gang, he was therefore able filming without special protection. His "infiltration" was also facilitated by the police authority and assistance of pandilleros that help in the rehabilitation of these young people. Shot according to the principles of the cinema direct (without comments), the film is punctuated by the funeral vigils of the members of the gang. Proximity that has able to create the Director is the result of hard and smart work, between action and realism. The result is a raw, but without cartoon, film which reveals the humanity of these ultraviolents teenagers share but especially deeply desperate and abandoned.

"Christian Poveda wanted to bear witness to the reality of the situation, take a signal of alarm", says his friend photographer Alain Mingan. Assassinated September 2 on a road at the exit of La Campanera, Christian Poveda has paid a heavy price to try to understand the roots of this evil. Its determination should not be to the taste of everyone: his murder shows how these images were disturbing.