Radio Silence review – courage in the face of danger as Mexican journalist takes on the government
Intimate documentary captures the relentless intimidation of Carmen Aristegui as she dares to speak truth to power

Carmen Aristegui, a leading journalist in Mexico, fights government corruption and the rise of fake news with astonishing resilience and courage. Shot over the course of four years, Juliana Fanjul’s intimate documentary portrait captures first-hand the dangers faced by those who dared to speak truth to power under the controversial presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto.
After her report on Peña Nieto’s swanky mansion, which had been paid for by a firm that was awarded the country’s first high-speed rail contract, Aristegui was illegally fired from her radio station, whose news department received 80% of its funding from the government. Unable to find work at other outlets, Aristegui and her staff continued to publish, guerrilla style, through her website and social media channels; they broke heavy-hitting news such as Peña Nieto’s plagiarism scandal and the government’s brazen misuse of public funds.