CRONICA DI UNA FUGA

Argentina, 2006, 110 minutes, Colour.
Rodrigo de la Serna, Nazareno Casero.
Directed by Israel Adrian Caetano.

Above the title is the place and date, Buenos Aires, 1977. It is Argentina in the second year of the dictatorship of the Generals.

This film is both sombre and gruelling to watch. The screenplay is based on a book by the central character, Claudio Tamburrini, a young footballer whose mother and sister are questioned cruelly because of false information from a tortured informer and who is abducted, interrogated, tortured and imprisoned with cruelty and barbarity.

The screenplay is a Day one, day three… format. The unrelieved treatment of the men, the handheld camerawork and desaturated colour, make it difficult to identify fully and emotionally with the characters (except, perhaps, to wonder what we would do and say in such horrible situations). We observe, we are aghast, we are sorry. And we are emotionally disgusted with the brutality of the torturers and the guards.

At the end, when the naked prisoners attempt an escape from the villa where they are interned, the audience is much more able to identify emotionally with the desperation and the courage.

The stories of the Argentinian tortured and ‘disappeared’ can not be told too often. This stark film is a contribution to awareness of oppression and torture and abuse of human rights. Most of the central characters were able to testify to commissions set up in 1985 to deal with the Junta’s abuses.

1. The impact of the film? A portrait of the dictatorship, imprisonment and torture? Heroism?

2. The motivation for making the film – for Argentinians? To know their history? To prevent such things happening again? The abuse of human rights?

3. The setting of Buenos Aires 1977? The information given about the dictatorship of the generals? The military law? The disregard of human rights, the rounding up of people, torture for information? The ‘disappeared’?

4. The film based on a true story, the book by Claudo Tamburrini? His acting as an adviser to the film? Guillermo Fernandez as a character, as an adviser to the film?

5. The stark presentation of the film: the football match, the torture of Claudio’s mother, his sister? The confession of the traitor? The diary effect, the stark listing of the days? The build-up the escape? The dramatising of the escape? The credibility of this true story?

6. The focus on Claudio, the football match? His coming home, the torture of his mother? His mother not giving information? His being away from home? The man giving information about him – and the later revelation that his address and phone number were in his book and he had to give some information to avoid more torture?

7. The arrest of Claudio, the lack of charges, the brutality of those taking him? The blindfold? Taking him to the Sere mansion?

8. The treatment of Claudio, the different kinds of torture, the interrogation? The men conducting it, their callous attitudes? The physical torture, electrodes? The beatings? Handcuffed? Lack of food and water?

9. The other prisoners, their discussions, adjusting their blindfolds? Learning to live together? Some being released – and the humiliation before they were released? The man who seemed to be a spy, his more cavalier attitude, his being allowed to go?

10. Hugo, in charge of the house, his treatment of the prisoners? The touch of humanity at times? The Christmas celebration? His getting them to do house duties, cleaning? The possibility of escape with the keys on the table as the guards watched the football?

11. The final four, their interactions? Galego, Vasco, Guillermo, Claudio? Their being stripped and handcuffed? Their having to manage?

12. The possibility of escape? The plan, the timetable? The execution of the plan? The blanket, tying knots, lowering themselves down from the building? Guillermo and his scrawling on the wall? The getting out of the grounds? The storm and the rain? Their being naked? In the streets, hiding? Getting some clothes? Knocking on the woman’s window and her helping with some clothes and money? Guillermo and his going to his father, meeting with his father, the discussions with the taxi driver? The phone call?

13. The fate of the others, their hiding, their being able to escape, get clothes?

14. The information given at the end of the film, what happened afterwards? The return to testify at the cases and trials in 1985?

15. The emotional impact of the film – or the observation of what happened to these men, the injustices, the abuses and torture? The emotional effect of the attempt to escape, the sense of freedom – as they returned to the ordinary streets of Buenos Aires?