"It will end! It will end! This habit of killing!"
"Let them tell us where those kidnapped babies are!"
"You ill-begotten military men, what have you done with our missing ones?"
"The foreign debt and the corruption are the worst shit our nation has ever had!"
"And what about Malvinas? Those boys who never came back!
We must never forget them! That’s why we must fight!"
The Official History- 1985
http://cubaninlondon.blogspot.com/2009/12/la-historia-oficial-official-story.html
The Official Story
In the film The
Official Story, the audience is reminded that history is written by those
who win the war, and that while there might be an “official story” there will
always be other versions. Those other versions may have darker, but truer, plot
lines than the official story prefers to advertise. Early in the film Alicia
buts head with a student in her class about the credibility of his sources
listed in a paper. By the end of the film Alicia is open to the fact that
history may not always be how it was written in the books. I believe that this
title relates to the history of Argentina because right after Peron’s entrance
into the presidency the people were happy. If history books only focus on this
portion of his story, people would be convinced that his presidency was a
successful one. This is not the case though, Peron went on to censor the press,
limit union activity, and attack the Catholic Church. He then ultimately
legalized organized killing though encouraging his supporters to kill those who
did not agree with his cause. The title of this film suggests that there is
much more to Argentina’s history than meets the eye.
http://comebacktothefiveanddime.blogspot.com/
Alicia’s character is a
dedicated mother, school teacher, and unassuming wife. The audience is meant to
relate to her through her dedication to her job and her love for her daughter.
The audience is to feel heartbroken for Alicia as she searches for her
daughter’s biological family despite the fact it may mean that Gabby will be
taken away. Simply by researching her daughter’s origins Alicia could be
putting herself and her family in danger, but her hunger for the truth pushes
her forward. Alicia represents honesty and the journey for honest knowledge. In
the beginning of the film Alicia represents an unquestioning individual that is
too trusting of what she reads in books. She evolves though the course of the
film into a questioning, honest individual.
This
film is told from Alicia’s point of view. She begins the film an unquestioning
loyal member of the government’s society, but ends the film an independent inquisitive
individual. This change begins when her longtime friend Ana confides in her
about the torture she endured for living with a revolutionary. This makes her
begin to think about where her daughter came from and question the integrity of
those around her. She begins to change as she gathers more and more information
about Gabby and other children like her.
http://www.popmatters.com/feature/129318-essential-film-performances-2010-edition-part-one/
Roberto,
Alicia’s husband, works for the government. It is through his job that he and
Alicia “adopt” Gabby. The audience members are meant to relate to his will to
support and protect his family. His temper sometimes leads him to hurt those he
loves. Because of this the audience is distanced from him and no longer
supports him, especially after he forces Gabby’s grandmother out of his home.
Roberto values family, but only his own. He has no desire to reconnect Gabby to
her biological family. By the end of the film the audience wants to cut all
ties with him when he goes on to abuse Alicia.
Ana, Alicia’s
friend, was a victim of the torture imparted on those associated with
individuals labeled as subversive. Ana told her story to Alicia one night after
having a few drinks. Alicia is completely taken aback when she hears this
terrible story. Ana tells Alicia about the infants taken away from their
mothers while they were being held in the prisons. The audience is meant to
feel sorry for Ana. They are also meant to relate to her determination to keep
going. Ana values safety and friendship. She represents all of the unfairness
that has been happening to individuals in Argentina.
https://quepasafilms.wordpress.com/category/1/
Benitez is one of Alicia’s colleagues. He was
pushed out of his last teaching position at a university because of his
opinions about the government’s handling of the people. The audience is meant
to relate to his rebellion and determination to keep teaching despite being
told to stop. Benitez helps Alicia in her search for knowledge and is one of
the first individuals who makes her stop and think about what’s really
happening in Argentina. Benitez represents learning and knowledge.
The
Mothers and Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo is a real grass roots human
rights organization devoted to bringing those disappeared home. Alicia meets a
member of this group while she is at the hospital she believes Gabby was born
in. She lies to the member saying that she lost her child so that they will
help her gather information about where Gabby really came from. The audience is
meant to support and root for this groups’ success. The audience greatly
relates to this group through their pain from the loss of their children and family.
The mothers and Grandmother of the Plaza de Mayo represent justice.
http://comebacktothefiveanddime.blogspot.com/
One of
the messages in this film is to question everything, and to never take things
for face value. The film’s message about this time period is that this was an extremely
difficult and dangerous time for people living in Argentina. It shows that
history may be skewed to fit the writer’s agenda, but those who question the
history books can gain a new level of understanding of their country. The
mothers and grandmothers brave enough to stand up against the people who stole their
loved ones are the true heroes of this film.
https://madresdemayo.wordpress.com/the-dirty-war/
References
- The Official Story PowerPoint
No comments:
Post a Comment