[wikipedia] - [imdb]
On projected video at the PFA during the 51st SFIFF with Lucía, on 6 May 2008, at 18:45.
The Judge and the General wasn’t a particularly good documentary (designed for network TV, I guess?), but the subject was so interesting that I had no trouble looking past that. The film is an exploration of Juan Guzmán’s eye-opening experience as he looks for evidence of various crimes committed under Pinochet. As a member of the ruling class that had managed to remain fairly ignorant of the crimes of Pinochet’s administration, Guzmán is at first skeptical, but as he gathers evidence for the case brought before him (judges play an investigative role in the Chilean judicial system, apparently), he becomes increasingly aware of the depth of the injustices as well as the degree to which they are systematic. He begins a long process of working to bring Pinochet to justice, and while Pinochet dies before standing trial, he is at least subject to having his immunity stripped and being indicted. Moreover, this process opened the floodgates to thorough investigations into the role of other officials and subsequent indictments.
The film itself is a mix of footage following the judge as he looks into the evidence, musings on the part of the judge about his own eye-opening experience and about the role of justice in society, interview snippets of various parties involved in bringing about justice for the crimes under Pinochet, and archival footage, including some from Allende’s rise to power, the coup, and Pinochet’s rise to power.
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