A 50,000 page report detailed the deaths and disappearances of an estimated 30,000 Argentinians during the days of state terrorism under the military’s genocidal reign between 1976 and 1983. The report served as the basis for the trial of the leaders of the Junta, for the first time ever, in 1985. Covering the trials, The Trial (Ulises de la Orden, 2023) is a riveting reminder of why the report is rightly known as Nunca Mas, or “Never Again”. Being able to see and hear the truth, the harrowing tales of tyrannical torture and concentration camps is truly a “painful privilege”.
Out of the tens of thousands possible individual cases, only around 700 could be presented by the prosecution. All recorded in U-matic tapes, there are around 530 hours of footage from the trial, which Director Ulises de la Orden manages to masterfully present in a compact yet compelling piece. The Trial (2023) manages to encapsulate in 150 minutes more than 90 days of public hearings, divided into 18 thematic parts, as we witness 9 military men, major players of the Junta, charged for the damage and depraved acts they had overseen over the span of less than 7 years. When it is often so easy to commit the cardinal sin of desensitizing history to just numbers and figures, pieces such as The Trial (2023) that present not only the facts but also the faces and voices often buried beneath them are paramount.
Through the many testimonies throughout the trial we see and hear victims who describe in detail the deprivation of any hint of their humanity, as well as from the devastated relatives of those who are dead or have disappeared, who try to fill the deafening silence forced upon their loved ones. Presenting the poignant testimonies in different thematic parts, Director Ulises de la Orden provides viewers with not only an intimate but also intricate look into the Junta’s reign of terror; still deeply rooted in victims’ personal stories of cruelty yet also an exploration into the socio-cultural, political, economic and even legal conditions that exacerbated it.
It’s also not only about what we hear, but what we see. With the wealth of material at his disposal, Director Ulises de la Orden uses footage from different cameras placed in different positions, presenting us with a dynamic view of the courtroom and the people in it. The purposeful positioning of viewers’ point of view powers the scene setting, adding palpable emotional depth to the different discourse developing throughout the trial. During the testimonies, or the questioning, or other processes in court, the different faces and body language of the public, the prosecutors, defense, and even the defendants themselves, paint a vivid picture.
The prosecutor described how under the Junta, Argentinians lived under “Libertad Conditional”, which is usually interpreted as being on parole or probation, a suspended sentence for someone already convicted for a crime. Yet after watching The Trial (2023), this description truly takes on its literal translation; a life of “conditional freedom.” With no trials, the dictatorship decided whether you were guilty of being or aiding a “subversive” or not, and most often, you are. And the sentence served, more often than not, was of death via violence. To be reminded of the reality subjugated by these men, whilst they menially complain about the lack of comfort in the trial proceedings they had the privilege of having, is where the power of El Juicio lies. Over and over again, we are reminded, Nunca Mas! (Aradi Ghalizha) (Ed. Vanis)
Detail Film
The Trial (El Juicio)
Ulises de la Orden | 150 Min | 2023 | Argentina, Italy, France, Norway
Official Selection for Perspektif
Festival Film Dokumenter 2024
Screening Schedule
Nov. 3 | 19:00 WIB | Amphitheater, TBY
