Five years on from their thrilling diplomatic drama “The Summit,” icons of Argentinian cinema Santiago Mitre (“White Elephant,” “Paulina,” ) and Ricardo Darín (“Wild Tales,” “The Secret in Their Eyes”) have teamed up once more for the Venice-bound “Argentina, 1985.” This time, however, their collaboration is much more fact than fiction, as the film seeks to bring one of Argentina’s most historic judicial trials to the big screen.
“Argentina, 1985” is a dramatization of the 1985 Trial of the Juntas, an internationally renowned court case in which prosecutors Julio César Strassera and Luis Moreno Ocampo brought to justice the perpetrators of Argentina’s ‘Dirty War’—the name given to the nearly decade-long period in Argentina’s history when the de facto military government sanctioned the kidnapping, interrogation, and murder of some 15,000-30,000 perceived dissidents. With over 800 witnesses called and 280 cases heard, the five-month trial was arguably the biggest war crimes trial since those at Nuremberg in 1946.
Darín and Peter Lanzani (“El Angel,” “The Clan”) star as the leads in this turbulent politico-procedural, while Laura Paredes (“La Flor”), Norman Briski (“An Unexpected Love”), and Héctor Díaz (“The Summit”) feature in supporting roles. Axel Kuschevatzky, p.g.a., Federico Posternak, Agustina Llambi-Campbell, Ricardo Darín, Santiago Mitre, Santiago Carabante, Chino Darín, and Victoria Alonso, p.g.a. serve as producers.
“Argentina, 1985” is produced by Amazon Studios, La Unión de los Ríos, Kenya Films, and Infinity Hill. It will be the first Argentinian Amazon Original film. Here’s the film’s official synopsis:
ARGENTINA, 1985 is inspired by the true story of Julio Strassera, Luis Moreno Ocampo, and their young legal team of unlikely heroes in their David-vs-Goliath battle, in which, under constant threat, they dared to prosecute Argentina’s bloodiest military dictatorship against all odds and in a race against time to bring justice to the victims of the Military Junta.
“Argentina, 1985” will compete at the upcoming Venice International Film Festival, which runs from August 31 to September 10, before coming to theaters and Prime Video in the fall. Watch the new teaser trailer below.