The Official Story
Michael Kennedy
The year was 1983 and Argentina was again under civilian rule after a brutal rule by the
state. In the 1970’s there was what was called the Dirty War going on. Leftists were more or
less at war with the state and during this time many people were persecuted against. The term
“Dirty” meant just that. As a means to deter people who were against the state, tactics were
used to strike fear into those who did not abide by the states laws. People were raped and
tortured as a means of keeping social order. We learn this first hand when Alicia and Anna are
reminiscing while having a few adult beverages. At one point Anna describes to Alicia that she
tortured by the state because she lived with whom the state deemed a “subversive” man.
Anna said that she would have raped too but there was one military person who wanted her all
for himself. Luckily for her that day never came. Anna states that when she heard screams she
was unsure if it was her or someone else screaming. I would have to think that Anna felt like
her situation was hopeless. Many other women were being persecuted against as well.
Alicia, as well as other members of the Argentinean middle class, were not aware of how much
killing and suffering has gone on in the country until her students began to complain that the
“government approved” History books that were given to them were not exactly correct. As
Alicia starts to investigate further the validity of what her friend Anna had told her about the
persecution of thousands of people who are now missing. Alicia goes downtown and sees
people protesting against the state wanting to know where their loved ones are. For these
family members there may have been hope – the hope of seeing their loved ones again. We
see many pictures on signs of those who are missing. Alicia befriends a woman in a hospital as
she was trying to find evidence/documentation of her adopted child’s birth. But no one is of
any help. So they decide to help each other in their quest to find information about their loved
ones. They are both hopeful that with each other’s help they will find what they are looking for.
But as time goes on Alicia’s friend becomes suspicious of her and we see her and two other
friends watching Alicia picking up Gaby from school. Alicia has to be thinking “What is going on
here?” Why are they looking at me like that? Now that Alicia knows that many women had
babies and were never seen again. Alicia wants to know “who” this child’s birth mother was and
where is she? Alicia is forced to confront her husband Roberto about how this child
was obtained. Roberto avoids Alicia’s attempts to know what exactly happened the day Gaby
came home. Alicia at this point becomes very worried that something is not right.
Alicia had met a woman in a café who might possibly be Gaby’s maternal grandmother. The
timeline of the woman’s daughter gone missing and Gaby’s birth coincide. Alicia begins to cry
because she knows now that Gaby was most likely taken from her mother and then murdered.
Feelings of hopelessness come over Alicia at this point. She is in fear of losing her adopted
daughter because she knows the truth. This becomes most evident when Roberto meets the
woman who is most likely Gaby’s grandmother and he wants her out of the house. Soon after
Roberto learns Gaby is not in her room. He wants to know where she is. As a lesson to Roberto
Alicia says to Roberto “How do you like not knowing where your child is?” He becomes violent
and starts to bang Alicia’s head into the door frame and crushes her hand in the door. His true
colors are now known. Alicia knows now that Roberto had brought home a child from one
whom was persecuted against. Roberto is the one now who is feeling hopeless. Not only is
he going to lose Gaby but probably Alicia too.
The ending of the film has some irony to it. When Alicia was a child she lost her parents to
a car accident unbeknownst to her because her grandparents never told her. But every day she
would sit on the porch and sit in a rocking chair waiting for them to arrive. They never came.
We have to wonder, “who” is Gaby waiting for as she rocks in her chair on the porch? I feel
There is hope for Gaby because no matter where she ends up she will have loving family to
take care of her. But there has to be feelings of hopelessness on the women’s part too because
one of them will be without Gaby.
The year was 1983 and Argentina was again under civilian rule after a brutal rule by the
state. In the 1970’s there was what was called the Dirty War going on. Leftists were more or
less at war with the state and during this time many people were persecuted against. The term
“Dirty” meant just that. As a means to deter people who were against the state, tactics were
used to strike fear into those who did not abide by the states laws. People were raped and
tortured as a means of keeping social order. We learn this first hand when Alicia and Anna are
reminiscing while having a few adult beverages. At one point Anna describes to Alicia that she
tortured by the state because she lived with whom the state deemed a “subversive” man.
Anna said that she would have raped too but there was one military person who wanted her all
for himself. Luckily for her that day never came. Anna states that when she heard screams she
was unsure if it was her or someone else screaming. I would have to think that Anna felt like
her situation was hopeless. Many other women were being persecuted against as well.
Alicia, as well as other members of the Argentinean middle class, were not aware of how much
killing and suffering has gone on in the country until her students began to complain that the
“government approved” History books that were given to them were not exactly correct. As
Alicia starts to investigate further the validity of what her friend Anna had told her about the
persecution of thousands of people who are now missing. Alicia goes downtown and sees
people protesting against the state wanting to know where their loved ones are. For these
family members there may have been hope – the hope of seeing their loved ones again. We
see many pictures on signs of those who are missing. Alicia befriends a woman in a hospital as
she was trying to find evidence/documentation of her adopted child’s birth. But no one is of
any help. So they decide to help each other in their quest to find information about their loved
ones. They are both hopeful that with each other’s help they will find what they are looking for.
But as time goes on Alicia’s friend becomes suspicious of her and we see her and two other
friends watching Alicia picking up Gaby from school. Alicia has to be thinking “What is going on
here?” Why are they looking at me like that? Now that Alicia knows that many women had
babies and were never seen again. Alicia wants to know “who” this child’s birth mother was and
where is she? Alicia is forced to confront her husband Roberto about how this child
was obtained. Roberto avoids Alicia’s attempts to know what exactly happened the day Gaby
came home. Alicia at this point becomes very worried that something is not right.
Alicia had met a woman in a café who might possibly be Gaby’s maternal grandmother. The
timeline of the woman’s daughter gone missing and Gaby’s birth coincide. Alicia begins to cry
because she knows now that Gaby was most likely taken from her mother and then murdered.
Feelings of hopelessness come over Alicia at this point. She is in fear of losing her adopted
daughter because she knows the truth. This becomes most evident when Roberto meets the
woman who is most likely Gaby’s grandmother and he wants her out of the house. Soon after
Roberto learns Gaby is not in her room. He wants to know where she is. As a lesson to Roberto
Alicia says to Roberto “How do you like not knowing where your child is?” He becomes violent
and starts to bang Alicia’s head into the door frame and crushes her hand in the door. His true
colors are now known. Alicia knows now that Roberto had brought home a child from one
whom was persecuted against. Roberto is the one now who is feeling hopeless. Not only is
he going to lose Gaby but probably Alicia too.
The ending of the film has some irony to it. When Alicia was a child she lost her parents to
a car accident unbeknownst to her because her grandparents never told her. But every day she
would sit on the porch and sit in a rocking chair waiting for them to arrive. They never came.
We have to wonder, “who” is Gaby waiting for as she rocks in her chair on the porch? I feel
There is hope for Gaby because no matter where she ends up she will have loving family to
take care of her. But there has to be feelings of hopelessness on the women’s part too because
one of them will be without Gaby.
Great historical perspective of this very touching story. I was a little confused by the ending, but I hadn't recalled the story of her sitting in the rocker, not knowing about her own parents. Gaby, also, was not aware that her world was about to change.
ReplyDeleteI want to think that both of those women will help raise Gaby. The thought of Alicia having to giver her up after five years of raising her is sad. I do think that Roberto realized his fate when he was saying goodbye to his daughter on the telephone.
Roberto was fully aware of what he had done, and I believe he thought he was right to do it. He made a powerful statement when he told his wife to "Get the bag lady out of my house". He also lied to his wife for years about Gaby's real story. What a pitiful man, so righteous, but not so virtuous.
Great analysis of the film. I agree with everything you stated. I especially agree with the ending being ironic. Who actually gets Gaby? Is it Alicia or Sara? In a sense I feel that Alicia does not, just for the fact that even though she loves Gaby very much, she can not deal with the fact of "taking" something that didn't belong to her. That Gaby is sitting in that chair waiting, not knowing when her parents will get her. Does Sara come back into the picture and take her to raise, to teach her about her parents, and how much they would have loved her? That is the only thing I didn't like about the film, the ending. It left you with so many questions????
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