Argentina: 1985: A Story of Justice for the Disappeared
Written by Claire Silverman
Graphics by Katalena
The 95th Academy Awards are only a couple weeks away, and if you’re looking for one more nominated film to watch, look no further. Nominated for Best International Feature Film, Argentina: 1985 (2022) is set in the years following the end of the brutal military dictatorship in 1983. The historical drama tells the story of a public prosecutor Julio César Strassera (played by Ricardo Darín), deputy prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo (Peter Lanzani) and their young team as they prepare and and prosecute the leaders of the military junta for their crimes against humanity and the torture and disappearances of tens of thousands of citizens.
Written by Santiago Mitre and Mariano Llinás, and directed by Mitre, the film begins less than a year into the new democracy, as the country, and Strassera in particular, await the news as to whether the heads of the old government will be tried in a military court or in a civilian court. Strassera is the only prosecutor currently employed by La Cámara Federal de Apelaciones, the federal court of appeals. If the trial were to go to the civil justice system, it would be the Strassera’s responsibility to make sure the leaders of the military dictatorship go to jail. Indeed, the court of appeals takes the case, and the weight falls to Strassera and his court-appointed deputy, Luis Moreno Ocampo, to gather sufficient evidence of the planned and systematic torture and extrajudicial murder of citizens across the country, in the hopes that it will lead to the perpetrators’ convictions. With little more than five months to gather and submit evidence, the men, with the help of Strassera’s friend Somi (Claudio De Passano), cobble together a team of young students and low-ranking workers in government offices to research and compile the atrocities committed by the government and reach out to survivors and the families of those still missing. Eventually the trial starts, and from the 709 testimonies submitted as evidence, a handful were selected by the writers to feature in the second half of the film. These testimonies are raw and heartfelt, and the film includes archival footage shot during the original trail. In fact, the filming location for the trial was the original building and courtroom where the trial took place in real life. These small details of authenticity help immerse the audience in the story, and even if you know the outcome of this first trial (the process of justice for those disappeared during the dictatorship is still ongoing today), the film keeps you on the edge of your seat.
It is ultimately a story of young people in a country working for justice for their future. For them, failure was simply not an option, and they did everything they could to prevail. It proves that those who may feel powerless on their own can come together to fight against the inhumane atrocities they witness, and that even those who once abused their power can be held accountable, regardless of their government or military affiliations. As Strassera (both in real life and in the film) said in his closing remarks, “this trial and the sentence I am advocating for, we’re responsible for setting a peace based not in oblivion, but in memory. Not in violence, but in justice. This is our opportunity. It might be the last one…¡Nunca más!”
The film runs 2 hours and 20 minutes, but with the balanced pacing of the film, you remain entirely immersed the whole time. In fact, part of the problem Strassera’s team faces is that they are engaged in a race against time, with only months to collect their evidence for “the most important trial in [Argentine] history.” The subjects tackled in this film are intensely heavy (torture, death threats, murder, and more) but the filmmakers crafted a good balance of the weight and importance of the trial with lighter moments of humanity and comedy. The sibling banter between Strassera’s daughter and son, the matter-of-fact way Strassera’s wife Silvia (Alejandra Flechner) deals with the man who calls the apartment to scare the family with death threats, and the interviews Somi conducts to find team members all provide much needed moments of levity to the seriousness of the situation being portrayed. If you are unused to watching foreign films or films with subtitles, this a good film to start with, as much of the dialogue, especially during the trial, is slow and measured. Watching the film in Spanish with subtitles, even though there is an English dubbed version, is the only way you should watch this film.
Argentina:1985 premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, alongside other Oscar nominees like The Banshees of Inisherin and Tár, and has already won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Non-English Language as well as the Audience Awards at the San Sebastián International Film Festival, the Oslo Films from the South Festival and the Palm Springs International Film Festival. If you are going to watch any Oscar nominated films before the awards ceremony, make it this one.
Argentina: 1985 is available to stream on Amazon Prime.