Fireflies at El Mozote (2026) Movie Script
1
[solemn music]
[birds chirping]
[birds chirping]
[whistles]
[whistling in distance]
[mellow music]
[dramatic music]
[gunfire]
[gunfire continues]
[serene music]
[birds chirping,
insects buzzing]
[dramatic music]
[barking in the distance]
[grunts]
[indistinct chatter]
[clamoring, wailing]
[indistinct chatter]
[panting]
[man groans, thuds]
[birds chirping]
[suspenseful music]
[indistinct chatter]
[clattering]
Let's go.
[whimpers]
[laughs]
JOSE'S SISTER: Mom!
[dramatic music]
- [grunting]
- [sobbing]
[grunting]
[gun clicks]
[gunshot]
BOY 1: Hurry up!
BOY 2: Wait for me!
Shh!
[screaming, sobbing]
[gunshots]
[gunshots continue]
[guns cock]
[ominous music]
[screaming]
Fire!
[gunfire continues]
[gunfire]
[scoffs]
[groaning]
[grunting]
There.
[sobs]
Hmm?
[melancholic music]
[melancholy music]
All right.
[birds chirping]
Yep.
[dramatic music]
Hey.
- [gunfire]
- [screams]
[groans]
[groans]
[whimpers]
[moans]
[moans]
[winces]
[groaning]
[gunshot]
Son of a bitch!
[thunder rolling]
[rain spattering]
[sighs]
[sighs]
[birds chirping]
[grunts]
[winces softly]
[exhales]
[whimpers]
No!
[groans]
[dramatic music]
It's horrific.
When will you take us
to the village?
Unfortunately not.
We need to go to the site
of the massacre,
see it in person.
What's going on here, Aurelio?
I thought we had everything
worked out ahead of time.
Well, our deal was to provide
you with undisputable proof
that the massacre occurred,
and I think
the photos do that.
I can't take this to my editor
and say that my contacts
wouldn't take us to the site
of the massacre,
just showed us a few
photographs, told us a story.
Doesn't work that way.
Have we ever lied to you
or given you bullshit stories?
It has nothing
to do with that, Aurelio.
This is basic journalism.
How would you like it,
for example,
if Montenegro came to us,
showed us a photograph
and said
that you killed everyone
in the village
and then we release that story
without double-checking?
How'd that make you feel?
I'm not sure you understand
how big this story is,
Aurelio, because it's huge.
So I need complete access
to all information,
that's including testimonies
from all the witnesses,
-and all survivors.
-There's no survivors.
The soldiers killed everybody.
[exhales]
We just travelled
thousands of miles,
risked our lives
crossing borders illegally
to get here to tell your story
because we believe in it,
and we believe it's
an important story to be told,
so don't you think we deserve
a little more
than your mistrust
and your secrecy?
[sighs] Okay.
[clears throat]
We found a survivor.
He's a boy.
[dramatic music]
Well, I need to talk to him.
And take his picture.
Why?
Because if he's a survivor,
he's the story.
SARAH: How old is he?
Um, we don't know.
Nine, maybe ten.
Hundreds of villagers
were massacred
by government troops, trained,
equipped and financed
by US military aid.
If we don't expose that
to the rest of the world,
then your congressmen
will continue giving
millions of dollars
to those butchers
and history will repeat itself.
That's the story.
If you want the greatest
exposure worldwide,
that boy needs to be
the center of this story.
Even if we let you
talk to him,
he couldn't
tell you anything.
- Why?
- Because he's lost his speech.
We don't even know his name.
Well, he witnessed
the massacre.
In spite of all the dangers
he's exposed to
here with us,
the minute he leaves
our protection,
he becomes a walking target.
Okay.
Here's the deal.
We're only here for a few days,
and two of those days
we're gonna burn off
crossing back into Honduras
and getting back into the US.
If I'm gonna tell the story,
I'm gonna tell it
the only way I know,
and that's my way.
So you guys figure out
what you want me to do.
[sighs] Okay, um...
Okay. We agree with you.
The boy can be in the report,
but we have to find
a way to do it
without traumatizing him again.
I know how.
I take his picture.
You tell me what happened to him
and I write it.
- Okay, fair enough.
- What happens to the boy
when the report comes out?
[dramatic music]
We'll take you
to the village today,
after our broadcast, okay?
[birds screeching]
Come.
[whistling]
[dramatic music]
[coughs]
[insects buzzing]
Enough?
We have to go.
Let's go.
[upbeat music]
You okay?
Yeah.
Just processing the day.
Yeah.
Will the Times run the story?
I don't know.
I do know this is gonna
unleash a shitstorm
in Congress,
and it might stop the flow
of military aid
to the government,
and that, in turn,
might turn the tide
in favor of the rebels.
Is your position
at the Times safe?
[chuckles] No.
I don't know that either.
I do know there's a couple of
people in the State Department
trying to get me fired.
The desk is getting nervous
and...
even the New York Times
has to answer
to the Board of Directors
and corporate-earnings,
so the truth just--
[loud explosions]
[explosions continue outside]
[explosions, gunfire outside]
Let's go.
[gunfire, explosion]
Chico and Luisa will take you
to our people in the city.
And your safe-conduct
is good
all the way to Honduras.
As soon as we get back
to the US,
I'll file a report.
- Thank you. Good luck.
- Thank you.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
[indistinct chatter]
[whistling]
- [groans]
- [gunfire]
[gunfire continues]
[indistinct yelling]
Come!
[panting]
[groans]
[panting]
Rafael...
[groans]
[screams in pain]
[distant gunfire]
[panting]
[explosion, gunfire]
- Come.
- [grunts]
Let's go, Rafael.
[Alma mutters words, grunts]
[grunts]
Okay...
[grunts]
[grunts]
[hyperventilates]
[groans]
[wheezing]
[panting, sobbing]
[animal hooting]
[groans]
Yes?
[grunts]
[whistling]
[gun cocks]
[suspenseful music]
[gunfire]
[grunts]
Hmm?
Move! Quickly!
[screams]
[screams]
[gunfire]
[groans]
[gunfire]
[groans]
[groans]
[groans]
[winces]
[gunfire]
-[dramatic music]
-[moans]
[grunts]
[melancholy music]
[birds chirping]
[dramatic music]
[door opens, closes]
[panting]
[gasps]
[dramatic music]
[dramatic music]
Good morning.
[mellow music]
[gunfire]
[screams]
[gunfire continues]
[dramatic music]
[helicopter whirring]
[indistinct chatter]
[dramatic music]
[dramatic music]
[indistinct chattering
in distance]
[dramatic music]
[Maldonado chuckles]
[grunting]
[helicopter whirring]
[helicopter whirring]
Now.
- Yes!
- [all cheering]
[indistinct voices over radio]
[all cheering]
[melancholy music]
[thunder rolling]
[solemn music]
[birds chirping]
[birds chirping]
[whistles]
[whistling in distance]
[mellow music]
[dramatic music]
[gunfire]
[gunfire continues]
[serene music]
[birds chirping,
insects buzzing]
[dramatic music]
[barking in the distance]
[grunts]
[indistinct chatter]
[clamoring, wailing]
[indistinct chatter]
[panting]
[man groans, thuds]
[birds chirping]
[suspenseful music]
[indistinct chatter]
[clattering]
Let's go.
[whimpers]
[laughs]
JOSE'S SISTER: Mom!
[dramatic music]
- [grunting]
- [sobbing]
[grunting]
[gun clicks]
[gunshot]
BOY 1: Hurry up!
BOY 2: Wait for me!
Shh!
[screaming, sobbing]
[gunshots]
[gunshots continue]
[guns cock]
[ominous music]
[screaming]
Fire!
[gunfire continues]
[gunfire]
[scoffs]
[groaning]
[grunting]
There.
[sobs]
Hmm?
[melancholic music]
[melancholy music]
All right.
[birds chirping]
Yep.
[dramatic music]
Hey.
- [gunfire]
- [screams]
[groans]
[groans]
[whimpers]
[moans]
[moans]
[winces]
[groaning]
[gunshot]
Son of a bitch!
[thunder rolling]
[rain spattering]
[sighs]
[sighs]
[birds chirping]
[grunts]
[winces softly]
[exhales]
[whimpers]
No!
[groans]
[dramatic music]
It's horrific.
When will you take us
to the village?
Unfortunately not.
We need to go to the site
of the massacre,
see it in person.
What's going on here, Aurelio?
I thought we had everything
worked out ahead of time.
Well, our deal was to provide
you with undisputable proof
that the massacre occurred,
and I think
the photos do that.
I can't take this to my editor
and say that my contacts
wouldn't take us to the site
of the massacre,
just showed us a few
photographs, told us a story.
Doesn't work that way.
Have we ever lied to you
or given you bullshit stories?
It has nothing
to do with that, Aurelio.
This is basic journalism.
How would you like it,
for example,
if Montenegro came to us,
showed us a photograph
and said
that you killed everyone
in the village
and then we release that story
without double-checking?
How'd that make you feel?
I'm not sure you understand
how big this story is,
Aurelio, because it's huge.
So I need complete access
to all information,
that's including testimonies
from all the witnesses,
-and all survivors.
-There's no survivors.
The soldiers killed everybody.
[exhales]
We just travelled
thousands of miles,
risked our lives
crossing borders illegally
to get here to tell your story
because we believe in it,
and we believe it's
an important story to be told,
so don't you think we deserve
a little more
than your mistrust
and your secrecy?
[sighs] Okay.
[clears throat]
We found a survivor.
He's a boy.
[dramatic music]
Well, I need to talk to him.
And take his picture.
Why?
Because if he's a survivor,
he's the story.
SARAH: How old is he?
Um, we don't know.
Nine, maybe ten.
Hundreds of villagers
were massacred
by government troops, trained,
equipped and financed
by US military aid.
If we don't expose that
to the rest of the world,
then your congressmen
will continue giving
millions of dollars
to those butchers
and history will repeat itself.
That's the story.
If you want the greatest
exposure worldwide,
that boy needs to be
the center of this story.
Even if we let you
talk to him,
he couldn't
tell you anything.
- Why?
- Because he's lost his speech.
We don't even know his name.
Well, he witnessed
the massacre.
In spite of all the dangers
he's exposed to
here with us,
the minute he leaves
our protection,
he becomes a walking target.
Okay.
Here's the deal.
We're only here for a few days,
and two of those days
we're gonna burn off
crossing back into Honduras
and getting back into the US.
If I'm gonna tell the story,
I'm gonna tell it
the only way I know,
and that's my way.
So you guys figure out
what you want me to do.
[sighs] Okay, um...
Okay. We agree with you.
The boy can be in the report,
but we have to find
a way to do it
without traumatizing him again.
I know how.
I take his picture.
You tell me what happened to him
and I write it.
- Okay, fair enough.
- What happens to the boy
when the report comes out?
[dramatic music]
We'll take you
to the village today,
after our broadcast, okay?
[birds screeching]
Come.
[whistling]
[dramatic music]
[coughs]
[insects buzzing]
Enough?
We have to go.
Let's go.
[upbeat music]
You okay?
Yeah.
Just processing the day.
Yeah.
Will the Times run the story?
I don't know.
I do know this is gonna
unleash a shitstorm
in Congress,
and it might stop the flow
of military aid
to the government,
and that, in turn,
might turn the tide
in favor of the rebels.
Is your position
at the Times safe?
[chuckles] No.
I don't know that either.
I do know there's a couple of
people in the State Department
trying to get me fired.
The desk is getting nervous
and...
even the New York Times
has to answer
to the Board of Directors
and corporate-earnings,
so the truth just--
[loud explosions]
[explosions continue outside]
[explosions, gunfire outside]
Let's go.
[gunfire, explosion]
Chico and Luisa will take you
to our people in the city.
And your safe-conduct
is good
all the way to Honduras.
As soon as we get back
to the US,
I'll file a report.
- Thank you. Good luck.
- Thank you.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
[indistinct chatter]
[whistling]
- [groans]
- [gunfire]
[gunfire continues]
[indistinct yelling]
Come!
[panting]
[groans]
[panting]
Rafael...
[groans]
[screams in pain]
[distant gunfire]
[panting]
[explosion, gunfire]
- Come.
- [grunts]
Let's go, Rafael.
[Alma mutters words, grunts]
[grunts]
Okay...
[grunts]
[grunts]
[hyperventilates]
[groans]
[wheezing]
[panting, sobbing]
[animal hooting]
[groans]
Yes?
[grunts]
[whistling]
[gun cocks]
[suspenseful music]
[gunfire]
[grunts]
Hmm?
Move! Quickly!
[screams]
[screams]
[gunfire]
[groans]
[gunfire]
[groans]
[groans]
[groans]
[winces]
[gunfire]
-[dramatic music]
-[moans]
[grunts]
[melancholy music]
[birds chirping]
[dramatic music]
[door opens, closes]
[panting]
[gasps]
[dramatic music]
[dramatic music]
Good morning.
[mellow music]
[gunfire]
[screams]
[gunfire continues]
[dramatic music]
[helicopter whirring]
[indistinct chatter]
[dramatic music]
[dramatic music]
[indistinct chattering
in distance]
[dramatic music]
[Maldonado chuckles]
[grunting]
[helicopter whirring]
[helicopter whirring]
Now.
- Yes!
- [all cheering]
[indistinct voices over radio]
[all cheering]
[melancholy music]
[thunder rolling]