Bridget Franco

Viaje de estudios a Argentina

     During the spring semester of 2012, I traveled with my Latin American Film class (see photo below) to Buenos Aires, Argentina and neighboring Montevideo, Uruguay. Before our departure, we screened a variety of Argentine films that deal with the last military dictatorship (1976-1983) and the subsequent transition to democracy. These movies highlight important social and political issues, as well as how cinematography grapples with questions of censorship, testimony, and social memory in the wake of a violent regime that disappeared tens of thousands of its own citizens. One of the main challenges in SPAN 420 is to guide students beyond a surface level understanding of the films and delve into the complicated and sensitive sociopolitical issues that underlie these productions, commonly grouped as "cine de la dictadura." My hope was that the study tour would provide an opportunity for my students to deepen their understanding of this context at both an intellectual and an emotional level by visiting sites of memory including former clandestine detention/torture centers; by attending the weekly Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo rally begun more than thirty years ago; by walking among the monuments at the Parque de la Memoria; and by listening to different generations of Argentines talk (or not talk) about their experiences during and after the country's most recent military dictatorship. Little did I realize how deeply these eight days would impact all of us. I share with you some pictures from our journey and excerpts from my students' reflection papers which speak for themselves.

Reprinted by permission of Bridget Franco © 2012 Bridget Franco