The Official Story (La historia oficial), the 1985 film, marks a splendid point of withdrawal for the study of the recent culture of Argentina. Perhaps that is a staple in many Latin American culture courses throughout Europe and the United States, as a result of which its relevance has remained intact in this decade.
Although it may seem that the film has a tragic ending, it is arguable that there are signs that point toward hopeful, positive changes in the future of Latin American women. Alicia’s insistent demonstrations and the push for change in the streets can be seen as a sign that Latin American women might have a greater political role in the future. Viewers can also interpret Ana’s return to Argentina, after she is exiled and tortured, as a civil victory over military authoritarianism. It is also possible to interpret Alicia’s quest for the truth about her adoptive daughter’s birth as an emerging desire to find positive solutions to current problems by confronting social reality. In other words, Alicia’s personal search seems to reflect the search of Argentineans or the Hispanics for the truth about their history.
Despite there is a lot that Alicia loses and suffers during the course of her search, the fact that she can change her life is demonstrated by the film in a positive way. For instance, Alicia’s husband brusquely when she introduces him to her adoptive daughter’s probable grandmother. Thus, by the end of the film it becomes that he would resort to physical violence, and he does when he attacks his wife, an act that brings his marriage to an end. Thus, he is actually a symbol that represents the Argentinean military regime and his failure and loss of control is reminiscent of the regime’s obsessive attempt to resort to terror and violence to control society, which failed.
It seems that the current of Argentina has been presented in the film in a seemingly hopeless and tragic manner in order to confront the disguises and terrible fears prevalent in the Argentinean society. Ultimately the film strives to clean the social ills that are prevalent in a variety of Latin American countries.
Works Cited
Puenzo, Luis, dir. The Official Story. Writ. Bortnik Aída. Almi Pictures, 1985. Film. 6 Nov 2013.
