Argentina, 1985

Argentina, 1985 is a 2022 Argentine historical legal drama film produced and directed by Santiago Mitre. Written by Mitre and Mariano Llinás, it stars Ricardo Darín, Peter Lanzani, Alejandra Flechner and Norman Briski. The film follows the Trial of the Juntas, the 1985 trial of members of the military government that ruled Argentina under the dictatorship of the Proceso de Reorganización Nacional, during which the torture, extrajudicial murder and forced disappearances of civilians was a systematic occurrence; it focuses on the perspective of the prosecution team led by Julio César Strassera and Luis Moreno Ocampo, including their investigation prior to the trial.[5][6][7][8][9]

Argentina, 1985
Release poster
Directed bySantiago Mitre
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJavier Juliá
Edited byAndrés P. Estrada
Music byPedro Osuna
Production
companies
Distributed by
  • Amazon Studios
  • Digicine[1]
Release dates
  • 3 September 2022 (2022-09-03) (Venice)
  • 29 September 2022 (2022-09-29) (Argentina)
  • 21 October 2022 (2022-10-21) (United Kingdom & United States)
Running time
140 minutes[2]
Countries
LanguageSpanish[3]
Box office$871,621[1]

Co-produced by Argentina, the United Kingdom and the United States, Argentina, 1985 premiered in the main competition at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2022,[2] where it won the FIPRESCI Award from the International Federation of Film Critics.[10] Theatrically released in Argentina on 29 September 2022, and in the United Kingdom and United States on 21 October 2022, it was a commercial success, debuting at number one at the Argentine box office and becoming the most-watched Argentine film of 2022. It received critical acclaim, and won, among others, the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, the Goya Award for Best Ibero-American Film and the National Board of Review Freedom of Expression Award. It was also named one of the top five international films of 2022 by the National Board of Review, and received an Academy Award nomination for Best International Feature Film.

Synopsis

Based on real events, the story follows the events surrounding the 1985 Trial of the Juntas, which prosecuted the ringleaders of Argentina's last civil-military dictatorship (1976–1983),[11] and centers on the titanic work of a group of non-lawyers aged 20 to 27, led by prosecutors Julio César Strassera and Luis Moreno Ocampo against those responsible for the bloodiest dictatorship in the history of Argentina. The narration reflects on the true meaning in the concepts of memory, truth and justice under the slogan "Nunca más" ('Never again').

Plot

In 1985, Argentina has had a democratic government for less than two years after its last military dictatorship collapsed in the aftermath of the 1982 Falkland Islands War. Public prosecutor Julio César Strassera is chosen to make the government's case against the military junta for alleged crimes against humanity after the military courts declined to press charges. The junta have retained the services of senior, experienced lawyers, while Strassera struggles to find lawyers to form his prosecution team amongst Argentina's largely conservative legal community. Strassera meets Luis Moreno Ocampo, his assigned deputy prosecutor, but initially rejects his offer for help, particularly after learning of his family's strong military ties and their support for the junta. Strassera receives several death threats, leading the government to assign him a security detail for him and his family.

Finding no other lawyers, Strassera decides to accept Moreno Ocampo's offer of help. Moreno Ocampo, a professor, suggests that they look for young law graduates and inexperienced lawyers, as the senior lawyers are unwilling to risk their reputations or safety to sign on to a trial that is so divisive amongst the public.

Slowly, Strassera and Moreno Ocampo interview and assemble a young team, many of whom are working in government offices and are able to use their access to materials to help the case. Because the atrocities were committed across the country, Strassera and his team map out areas where military prison camps were, and interview and seek out as many victims of the junta as they can to record their testimonies. Meanwhile, he and his team face serious risks to their safety, with several of them being followed, and Moreno Ocampo's family turning on him for going against their military history.

On the first day of the trial, the court receives a bomb threat, which Strassera argues is a fake one phoned in by supporters of the military to postpone the trial. He manages to persuade the reluctant judges that the trial must continue. The trial is fully recorded on cameras and parts of it are broadcast around the world. Many of the victims of the junta testify about the brutal and senseless torture they endured or witnessed happening to their families and loved ones. President Raúl Alfonsín invites Strassera to meet with him and informs him that he is keeping a close watch on the court events as they unfold and was deeply moved by the testimony of the witnesses. Despite this, the Attorney General later intimates to Strassera that he should be lenient with the Air Force. Strassera is angered and makes vulgar gestures at the Air Force generals in court, threatening to get himself thrown out of the courtroom for contempt.

For his closing argument, Strassera realizes that he will have the chance to make his case not just to the judges in the courtroom, but to the people of Argentina and those around the world. With the help of his family, he composes an eloquent closing statement: "I wish to waive any claim of originality in closing this indictment. I wish to use a phrase that is not my own, because it already belongs to all the Argentine people. Your Honors: ¡Nunca más!".

The judges move into deliberations and Strassera's team is desperate to hear the outcome. Strassera's son spies on the judges in a restaurant and witnesses them coming to an agreement of sorts; it is not clear to him what happens, but it later shown that the judges agreed to continue prosecuting crimes committed under the military junta.

Strassera is summoned to the hospital as his elderly friend is dying. His friend presses Strassera to know the final sentences, as he will soon die and not be able to tell anyone. Strassera lies and tells his friend that all the generals received life sentences, including the Air Force. Shortly after, Strassera learns that the court is sentencing General Jorge Videla and Admiral Emilio Massera to life imprisonment, General Roberto Viola to seventeen years, Admiral Armando Lambruschini to eight years, and General Orlando Agosti to four and a half years. Dissatisfied with most of the outcomes, he begins typewriting an appeal.

Cast

Release

Argentina, 1985 had its world premiere in the main competition for the Golden Lion at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on 3 September 2022.[15][2] It was theatrically released in Argentina on 29 September 2022.[16] Amazon Studios released the film in select theaters in the United States on 30 September 2022, before it started streaming on Prime Video on 21 October 2022.[17][18]

Reception

Box office

The film was released theatrically in Argentina on 29 September 2022. In its first weekend in theaters, the film debuted at number one at the box office and was seen by 200,000 spectators in 298 theaters,[19] making it the best opening for a national film since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.[20][21] During its second weekend, the film maintained its first place at the box office and reached a little more than 211,000 viewers in 314 theaters.[22] By November 2022, the film had sold over a million tickets in Argentina, grossing a total of 592 million pesos (US$3,2 million[23]).[24] It was the most-watched Argentine film of 2022,[25] and the ninth most-watched film overall in Argentina in 2022.[26]

Critical reception

According to the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Argentina, 1985 has a 95% approval rating based on 64 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 8/10. The site's consensus reads, "Justice is served in Argentina 1985, a crusading courtroom drama that shines a light on historically somber times with refreshing levity".[27] On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the film holds a score of 78 out of 100 based on 11 reviews indicating "generally favorable reviews".[28]

Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Venice International Film Festival 10 September 2022 Golden Lion Santiago Mitre Nominated [2]
FIPRESCI Award Won [10]
SIGNIS Award Special Mention Won
San Sebastián International Film Festival 24 September 2022 People's Choice Award Argentina, 1985 Won [29]
London Film Festival 16 October 2022 Best Film Nominated [30][31]
National Board of Review 8 December 2022 Top Five Foreign Language Films Won [32]
Freedom of Expression Award Won
Forqué Awards 17 December 2022 Best Latin-American Film Won [33]
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association 19 December 2022 Best Foreign Language Film 3rd place [34]
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle 9 January 2023 Best International Feature Film Nominated [35]
Golden Globe Awards 10 January 2023 Best Foreign Language Film Won [36]
Georgia Film Critics Association 13 January 2023 Best International Film Nominated [37]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards 15 January 2023 Best Foreign Language Film Nominated [38]
Goya Awards 11 February 2023 Best Ibero-American Film Won [39]
Houston Film Critics Society 18 February 2023 Best Foreign Language Feature Nominated [40]
British Academy Film Awards 19 February 2023 Best Film Not in the English Language Santiago Mitre Nominated [41]
Hollywood Critics Association Awards 24 February 2023 Best International Film Argentina, 1985 Nominated [42]
Golden Reel Awards 26 February 2023 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Foreign Language Feature Santiago Fumagalli, Juan Ignacio Giobio, Nahuel De Camillis, Ignacio Seligra, Nicolás Mannara, Diego Marcone, Stephen M. Davis Nominated [43]
Satellite Awards 3 March 2023 Best Motion Picture – International Argentina, 1985 Won [44]
Academy Awards 12 March 2023 Best International Feature Film Nominated [45]
Platino Awards 22 April 2023 Best Ibero-American Film Pending [46]
Best Director Santiago Mitre Pending
Best Actor Ricardo Darín Pending
Peter Lanzani Pending
Best Supporting Actor Carlos Portaluppi Pending
Norman Briski Pending
Best Supporting Actress Alejandra Flechner Pending
Best Screenplay Santiago Mitre, Mariano Llinás Pending
Best Original Score Pedro Osuna Pending
Best Cinematography Javier Juliá Pending
Best Art Direction Micaela Saiegh Pending
Best Film Editing Andrés Pepe Estrada Pending
Best Sound Santiago Fumagalli Pending
Film and Education Values Argentina, 1985 Pending

See also

References
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  2. "Biennale Cinema 2022 | Argentina, 1985". Venice International Film Festival. August 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  3. "Argentina, 1985". Palm Springs International Film Society. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  4. "Amazon Studios Sets First Argentine Original Film: Ricardo Darin Starrer 'Argentina, 1985,' from Santiago Mitre (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 7 November 2022. Based out the U.K., Los Angeles and Buenos Aires and headed by Kuschevatzky, Glynn and Teperman, Infinity Hill's...
  5. "Argentina, 1985 (2022)". Cine Nacional. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  6. Winkelman, Natalia (29 September 2022). "'Argentina, 1985' Review: All the Prosecutor's Men". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  7. "Argentina 1985 review – rousingly-acted junta trial dramatisation". The Guardian. 3 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  8. "Review: Ordinary people struggle for extraordinary justice in 'Argentina, 1985'". Los Angeles Times. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  9. Linden, Sheri (5 September 2022). "'Argentina, 1985' Review: A Strong Lead Performance Grounds an Understated Drama About a Historic Trial". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  10. "Collateral awards of the 79th Venice Film Festival". labiennale.org. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  11. ""Argentina, 1985": Oscar-Nominated Film Depicts Historic War Crimes Trial of U.S.-Backed Generals". Democracy Now!. 13 January 2023.
  12. Misetich, Lorena (16 October 2022). "Manuel Caponi, el mendocino que actuó en "Argentina, 1985″: "La experiencia más grata es ser parte de la película"". Los Andes.
  13. "Almudena González y Manuel Caponi: el compromiso y la valentía de la juventud en "Argentina, 1985"". El 1 Digital. 5 October 2022.
  14. ""Argentina, 1985" en Amazon Prime Video: el apasionante drama legal sobre la vuelta de la democracia". Clarín. 26 October 2022.
  15. Vivarelli, Nick; Ravindran, Manori (26 July 2022). "Venice Lines Up New Movies From Darren Aronofsky, Laura Poitras, Olivia Wilde, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Florian Zeller – Full Lineup". Variety. Archived from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  16. Stiletano, Marcelo (30 September 2022). "Taquilla: Argentina, 1985 llenó ayer las salas y conquistó a la mitad del público que fue al cine en todo el país". La Nación.
  17. Monks Kaufman, Sophie (3 September 2022). "'Argentina, 1985' Review: The Trial of the Juntas Gets an Oddly Amusing Biopic". IndieWire.
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  20. "Taquilla: Argentina 1985 llegó a las 200.000 entradas vendidas en su primera semana en cartel" [Box office: Argentina 1985 reached 200,000 tickets sold in its first week on the bill]. La Nación (in Spanish). 3 October 2022.
  21. "'Argentina, 1985', la película nacional más taquillera desde el inicio de la pandemia" ['Argentina, 1985', the highest-grossing national film since the start of the pandemic]. Télam (in Spanish). 4 October 2022.
  22. "Continúa el dominio de "Argentina 1985" en la taquilla nacional" [The dominance of “Argentina 1985” continues at the national box office]. Ultracine (in Spanish). 9 October 2022.
  23. "592,000,000 ARS to USD - Convert Argentine Pesos to US Dollars". xe.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  24. Stiletano, Marcelo (3 November 2022). "Taquilla: Argentina, 1985 ya superó el millón de espectadores en los cines de nuestro país" [Box office: Argentina, 1985 already exceeded one million viewers in theaters in our country]. La Nación (in Spanish).
  25. ""Argentina, 1985", ya es la película más vista de todo el 2022" ["Argentina, 1985" is already the most-watched film of 2022]. Estácion Sur Digital (in Spanish). 19 October 2022.
  26. O. Scholz, Pablo (29 December 2022). "Sorpresas: ¿Cuáles fueron las 20 películas más vistas en la Argentina?" [Surprises: What were the 20 most-watched films in Argentina?]. Clarín (in Spanish).
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  31. "BFI London Film Festival 2022 (announcement in YouTube)". LFF Awards Ceremony YouTube channel.
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  33. "'As bestas' triunfa en los Forqué y pone al rojo vivo la lucha por los Goya". rtve.es. 17 December 2022.
  34. Neglia, Matt (19 December 2022). "The 2022 Dallas Fort-Worth Film Critics Association (DFWFCA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  35. Neglia, Matt (6 January 2023). "The 2022 San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) Nominations". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  36. Lang, Brent; Moreau, Jordan (10 January 2023). "'The Fabelmans,' 'The Banshees of Inisherin' Win Big at Revamped Golden Globes (Complete Winners List)". Variety. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  37. Anderson, Erik (7 January 2023). "2022 Georgia Film Critics Association (GAFCA) nominations". AwardsWatch. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  38. Verhoeven, Beatrice (14 December 2022). "Everything Everywhere All At Once Leads 2023 Critics Choice Awards Film Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  39. Hopewell, John; Sandoval, Pablo (11 February 2023). "Rodrigo Sorogoyen's 'The Beasts' Sweeps Spain's Goya Awards". Variety.
  40. Darling, Cary (10 January 2023). "'Everything Everywhere,' 'Banshees of Inisherin' top list of Houston critics' nominations". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  41. Ntim, Zac (19 January 2023). "BAFTA Film Awards Nominations: 'All Quiet On The Western Front,' 'Banshees Of Inisherin' & 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Lead — The Complete List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  42. Anderson, Erik (15 December 2022). "6th Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards nominations: 'Everything Everywhere All At One,' 'The Banshees of Inisherin' lead". AwardsWatch. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  43. Giardina, Carolyn (9 January 2023). "'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Leads Sound Editors' Golden Reel Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  44. Anderson, Erik (8 December 2022). "'Top Gun: Maverick' leads International Press Academy's 27th Satellite Awards nominations". AwardsWatch. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
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  46. Rosado, Ricardo (9 March 2023). "PREMIOS PLATINO 2023: 'ARGENTINA, 1985' ENCABEZA LAS NOMINACIONES DE LA X EDICIÓN". Fotogramas (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 March 2023.
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