The furor generated by the film “Argentina, 1985” was total, both in its country of origin and in the rest of the region and throughout the world. The film obtained several nominations and awards, pending the outcome of the prestigious Oscars.
The film filled theaters, broke viewer records, but, above all, it sparked a profound debate within Argentine society about the value of democracy and the importance of defending it.
“The story that the film tells is fundamental because the film messes with the trial of the military juntas, which was a historic event not only in our country but in the world,” he told the voice of america Cecilia Martí, journalist specializing in shows for the Todo Noticias channel.
For her part, historian Camila Perochena explained the historical context in which the film takes place. “It was at a time when anti-democratic discourses were circulating around the world and that is why the film sought to show the importance of respecting and defending human rights and democracy.”
This was the same message that his protagonists wanted to give him. Santiago Mitre, director of the film, acknowledged that “it was like waking up a sleeping giant, a glorious fact of Argentine democracy made in a risky context but with total clarity.”
The film goes back to the so-called “trial of the juntas”, as the judicial process that took place in 1985 is known, where five of the nine generals who had been in charge of the de facto government during the last military dictatorship in the Argentina, one of the bloodiest in the entire region.
The military government had handed over power in 1983, and just two years later prosecutor Julio Cesar Strassera –played by Ricardo Darín- led a team that ended up achieving the historic conviction. Fact that, for some, marked a before and after in the democracies of the regions.
As the historian Camila Perochena explained, “it was the first time that those who violated human rights, who committed crimes against humanity, who were the military during the dictatorship, were being tried, and those who still had the weapons; that is to say, that they could rise up against democracy”.
Given the proximity of the Oscar Awards, for which this film is nominated in the category of best foreign film, experts point out that “Argentina 1985” is a phenomenon that transcended the big screen and seeks to permeate the current consciousness for consolidate the message of democracy and the importance of defending it.
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