Témoin indésirable

Sin tregua

Juan José Lozano

Colombia is not kind to its journalists. Hollman Morris is well aware of the fact, having been obliged to go into exile for a time in 2000 with his wife and child after receiving death threats. This former journalist for the daily paper “El Espectador”, now the director of a production company, has directed a weekly investigative programme called “Contravia” since 2003 for the public channel Canal Uno. The programme does not hesitate to criticise all the participants of the conflict: guerrillas, paramilitaries and the army. Morris is troublesome, so much so that President Uribe once accused him of being a mouthpiece for the FARC. Juan José Lozano follows every step of the work of this “undesirable witness”, who attempts to understand “the guts of the war” by investigating his entire country, especially the rural areas. In the south, for example, we see him covering a movement – and its suppression by the regular security forces – of “cocaleros” protesting against fumigations that are destroying their plantations. TEMOIN INDESIRABLE also shows the protection (two armed bodyguards and an armoured 4X4) that constantly accompanies Morris. However, his life choices eat away at the family home. His wife Patty oscillates between frustration and selflessness: “I can’t live on your prizes,” she tells him. As the film concludes, the journalist has been threatened again and has received two prestigious international rewards meant to ensure that he receives the support he lacks in Colombia. “Contravia” was taken off the air again at the end of 2007…
Visions du Réel Nyon 2008

Juan José Lozano

2011 IMPUNITY
2008 TEMOIN INDESIRABLE
2006 HASTA LA ULTIMA PIEDRA
2004 HORO, MAIN DANS LA MAIN
2003 LE CHANT DU CHICUACO
2002 UN TRAIN QUI ARRIVE EST AUSSI UN TRAIN QUI PART
2001 VIVRE LA DEMOCRATIE
2000 COLOMBIE, LE BAL DE LA VIE ET DE LA MORT
1998 NACUCO