In September 1955, Argentine president Juan Domingo Perón (elected democratically in 1952) was overthrown by a military coup named Revolución Libertadora (Liberating Revolution) by its perpetrators. The Revolución Libertadora was supported by the clergy, the moneyed classes and most political parties. At the beginning the revolution was not unpopular due to the oppressive and corrupt nature of the last years of Peron's regime. Moreover, the military government tried to compromise with the defeated Peronists under the motto "Neither victors nor vanquished". However, an internal military coup in November 1955 replaced the de facto government with a junta headed by General Pedro Eugenio Aramburu. The new government relentlessly persecuted and jailed Peronist politicians, labor leaders and even intellectuals. It rolled back worker's rights (mostly attained under Perón).

In June 1956 a military coup was staged with the object of restoring Perón (then in exile) to power. The coup was doomed from the beginning; it was supported only by a few officers (the rank-and-file did not join) and popular support was scarce. One of the leaders of the coup, General Valle and most of the officers involved were apprehended without much of a fight.

Although there were only a handful of casualties involved, Aramburu's government sentenced General Valle and 17 officers to death by firing squad. To find antecedents to this savagery, one would have to go back to the Argentine civil wars in the 1820s. A number of workers and labor leaders were detained and assassinated by the police in a garbage dump in the town of José León Suárez (some survived and managed to escape). The executions were grossly illegal, retroactively based on martial law promulgated after the facts. 

Rodolfo Walsh was one of the best and most courageous Argentine journalists (he was killed in 1977 by another military dictatorship). On the testimony of survivors, he reconstructed the José León Suárez killings in the 1957 book Operación Masacre, still in print after more than half a century. The book is the basis of this film.

Director Jorge Cedrón opens and closes his film with newsreel footage. The movie proper is semi-documentary; actors interpret real characters, the script based on recollections of survivors, relatives and witnesses (one of the actors, Julio Troxler, is an actual survivor). Cedrón manages this approach brilliantly and interest never flags.

As the movie points out, the ruthlessness of the military planted a seed of violence that eventually flourished in the Dirty War of 1973-1981.

Spanish-language cinema across Spain and Latin America is united by its engagement with history, cultural identity, and social transformation. In Spain, films often balance artistic experimentation with popular genres while reflecting on memory, politics, and family. In Latin America, cinema has been deeply tied to questions of colonial legacy, resistance, and community resilience, ranging from intimate dramas to bold political allegories.

Ana Torrent in The Spirit of the Beehive (1973)

The crime genre features criminal activities, investigations, law enforcement, crimes, and the pursuit of justice. Crime stories often revolve around the planning, execution, and consequences of criminal acts, as well as the efforts to solve and prevent such acts. They explore various aspects of criminal behavior, motives, and the moral dilemmas faced by both perpetrators and those seeking to uphold the law.

James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The history genre features recounting and analyzing past events, societies, cultures, and historical figures. This genre aims to provide insights into the development of civilizations, the causes and consequences of historical events, and the impact of individuals and ideas on the course of history.

The thriller genre features suspense, tension, and excitement. These stories are known for keeping audiences on the edge of their seats and delivering intense emotional experiences by revolving around high-stakes situations, dangerous conflicts, and the constant anticipation of unexpected events.

In 1956 a military civic coup against self-appointed Liberating Revolution fails, and in Jose Leon Suarez, Argentina, are killed several suspected to be part of the civil uprising. However survive seven people manage to tell the story.

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Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina

Alberto Ferreiro and Ariadna Gil in Soldiers of Salamina (2003)

Julio De Grazia and Federico Luppi in Plata dulce (1982)

Héctor Alterio and Ana María Picchio in The Truce (1974)

El romance del Aniceto y la Francisca (1967)

Cristina Banegas, Ernesto Catalán, Martín Coria, Juan Carlos Desanzo, Danilo Devizzia, José Pablo Feinmann, Esther Goris, Luis Herrera, Víctor Laplace, Enrique Liporace, Jorge Petraglia, Adriana Pérez, Lorenzo Quinteros, Jean Pierre Reguerraz, Leandro Regúnaga, Inés Rey, Horacio Roca, Carlos Roffé, María Florencia Stajm, and Tony Vilas in Eva Peron: The True Story (1996)

Luis Barrón in Operación masacre (1973)

Operación masacre

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