Views on Argentina’s democratic transition. An analysis of the documentary film ‘Panteón militar’ (Wolfgang Landgraeber, 1992)

Abstract

The present article addresses the documentary film Kreuzzuggegen die Subversion / Panteón militar (Wolgang Landgraeber, 1992) with the aim of studying the mode in which the Argentinean society is portrayed in its transition towards democracy. The analysis articulates a transdisciplinary methodological perspective that integrates elements deriving from the history of communication media, the sociology of culture and discourse analysis. In particular, the analysis focuses on the filmic treatment of the problematic of human rights and the statute of limitation on judicial trials concerning crimes against humanity committed by the military during the last dictatorship (1976-1983). This work will argue that, together with the disappointment around these laws and, more generally, the regressive policies in matters of human rights, the crisis of expectation is also the result of the economic factor.

Keywords

• Argentina
• transición democrática
• dictadura
• documental