Critic Manavendra K. Thakur was appreciative of the direction of the film and wrote , " Olivera seems to have kept his integrity mostly intact . He does not shy away from disturbing realities , and he draws a surprisingly complex portrait of the students , their captors , and the students ' parents . The film 's accomplishment in this regard is considerable and therefore worthy of serious attention ... and this is especially true of the film 's second half . " Caryn James , film critic for '' The New York Times , '' also liked Olivera 's work , and wrote , " Mr. Olivera builds his film on irony and contrast , so the visual beauty of the early scenes - the deep blue night in which cars and lights glisten - calls attention to the ominous unseen political dangers . In daylight , the once-beautiful , now crumbling buildings , including the high school itself , become emblems of a country falling apart , not knowing what to preserve from its past . " The film was nominated for the Golden Prize at the 15th Moscow International Film Festival
15th Moscow International Film Festival
15th Moscow International Film Festival
Night of the Pencils (film)