Why Oscar-Nominated ‘Argentina, 1985’ Serves as a Global Reminder of the Need to Fight for Democracy

thewrap.com:

While Oscar-nominated “Argentina, 1985”  tells a specific story of prosecuting crimes against humanity committed by military dictators in that South American country, its inspirational message is applicable around much of the world: Good people and democracy can triumph over tyranny.The film’s director, Santiago Mitre, told TheWrap that while he wanted to make sure Argentines remember the past and how they overcame a military dictatorship, he also hoped to get that vital message to an international audience. “I think it was necessary for my country to tell the story, and important for the world to watch it because, while we are talking about a particular moment our history, we are also talking about basic freedom and democracy and justice,” he said. “Those are very contemporary topics, and relevant anywhere in the world.

I mean, so much oppression is still going on in other parts of the world.”Being nominated for an Academy Award for best foreign film certainly helps spread that message.

Mitre said the nomination, and the movie streaming on Amazon Prime Video, has brought him feedback from people of all ages around the world.“We soon realized that people from other countries had very strong feelings and connections with the film, because of the history of many countries with tyranny and brutality,” said Mitre, a fourth-generation Argentine. “So that was amazing.

And of course, in Argentina it’s still an open wound, the memories of the horrible dictatorship. We have to hold onto some of that pain, and not forget.”That military dictatorship seized power from 1976 to 1983, silencing opponents and using murder, rape and torture as a means to terrorize the population.