Cautiva (2003) - Argentina
I hold true to my long time belief that a good movie has a good title. "The captive" - of course a female captive in Spanish - is a drama with a touch of thriller that speaks not only of the teenager caught in the midst of secrets surrounding her past, but also of the thousands of kidnapped victims of the Argentine military regime of the 70's. A rarely recalled but hardly surprising fact is briefly mentioned - the illegal forced disapperances of dissidents imposed by the military junta happened in cooperation with the CIA. In fact, the US financed the training for the dictators and military leaders at the head of "the dirty war."
But historical facts don't begin to describe the pain and frustration still felt by the many relatives and children of "the disappeared." A personal, beautifully shot story set to a haunting score of piano and chorus makes more of an impact than large numbers. As the horrible truth is unraveled, the viewer is thrown from distrust to disbelief: thirty thousand people were kidnapped, tortured, and never heard from again only thirty years ago, and to this day the government of Argentina goes on as if nothing has happened. A short scene shows the protest of The Mother of Plaza de Mayo - women who gather in public every week to demand to know the fates of the disappeared. This film is a sort of candle, a burning tribute to Los Desaparecidos, their children, and all those who keep their memories alive and hope one day to find justice.
I really enjoyed watching this movie and feel like I've gained something from it.
But historical facts don't begin to describe the pain and frustration still felt by the many relatives and children of "the disappeared." A personal, beautifully shot story set to a haunting score of piano and chorus makes more of an impact than large numbers. As the horrible truth is unraveled, the viewer is thrown from distrust to disbelief: thirty thousand people were kidnapped, tortured, and never heard from again only thirty years ago, and to this day the government of Argentina goes on as if nothing has happened. A short scene shows the protest of The Mother of Plaza de Mayo - women who gather in public every week to demand to know the fates of the disappeared. This film is a sort of candle, a burning tribute to Los Desaparecidos, their children, and all those who keep their memories alive and hope one day to find justice.
I really enjoyed watching this movie and feel like I've gained something from it.