Date of Award

6-2023

Document Type

Union College Only

Department

Modern Languages and Literatures

First Advisor

Silvina Yi

Language

Spanish

Keywords

The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo La Historia Oficial Argentina Buenos Aires

Abstract

This thesis analyzes two primary source films that demonstrate the differing family dynamics during the Argentine dictatorship from 1976-1983. Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo: Madres argentinas luchan por la justicia, directed by Lourdes Portillo in 1985, presents first hand accounts of The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo and their experiences with losing their children to the dictatorship, and the organization that they created to protest it. La Historia Oficial, directed by Luis Puenzo in 1985, shows a military family with an adopted daughter, who happens to be the daughter of a disappeared mother, and the journey of discovery and true identity of the adopted daughter. The two films show the resilience, bravery, and fearlessness of mothers, and the perseverance to do whatever to takes to protect their children. Using both of these films, I analyzed the ways in which biological and adoptive mothers care for their children, and the commonalities between the two. Though there are both positives and negatives to both types of mothers, I observed that one thing remains the same. My thesis further supports that a good mother is someone who will do whatever is necessary to protect and care for their children, even if that means putting yourself at risk.

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In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted.