Las Madres...

Of all the screenings shown for class thus far this semester, I think one that really left an impression on me was the documentary Las Madres. If I’m being honest, I actually found this one to be a bit difficult to watch at times because the events being recalled were so shocking, but the film was very eye-opening, to say the least. I had absolutely no idea that such atrocities were taking place in Argentina just a few decades ago. The fact that these people were putting themselves in harms way each time they took a walk down the street was absolutely mind boggling. How can anyone justify kidnapping an innocent person and holding them captive simply because they express views that may be different from the government, or because a few select people feel that they are a threat?

The most powerful moment in the film was undoubtedly the ex naval officers admissions regarding what happened to those who were kidnapped and how, once they were no longer wanted, they would be drugged and thrown from an airplane, or have their bodies cut to fit into an oven and burned, which ultimately drove the unlucky man assigned to this job to reach the point of insanity. The stories told by the mothers in this film were absolutely heart wrenching as well. Nobody should ever have to go through what these people went through, spending each day wondering what happened to their loved ones and whether or not they would ever see them again. At the same time however, the strength that these women displayed was quite impressive. They knew that by fighting back against authority figures and doing what they could to find answers and hold those responsible accountable for their actions, that they were essentially putting themselves in danger, but they took a stand anyway, which took a great deal of courage and was very inspiring to see.

What did everyone else think of the film?