Innocent Voices establishes a rich set of interlocking relationships between Chava and his friends. This is a key element of the film’s success. An audience needs to feel empathy for the victims of these atrocities.

Invite students to compile a list of the characters in Chava’s life. Then ask them to decide what major contribution each character makes to Chava’s story and personal development. For some characters such as Ancha (‘fish-brain’) it may be hard to fix on one single contribution. Also consider Chava’s uncle Tio Beto, the priest, and the lorry driver Chofer.