The Official Story (La historia oficial) (La historia oficial)

THE OFFICIAL STORY

Freedom, freedom, freedom!

Hear the sound of broken chains

See noble equality enthroned

Their worthy throne was unveiled

By the United Provinces of the South

And the free ones of ...

To the great Argentine people, hail!

MARCH 14th 1983

Gentleman, please. Silence, please.

I'm Alicia Marbet Ibañez. Some of you already know me.

This course studies "Argentine History".

We will be covering

the social and political institutions from 1810 forward.

We'll have three hours per week

which isn't much.

And let me warn you:

I don't like wasting my time.

I believe in discipline.

And I don't give away A's.

As some might recall, right?

Understanding history is preparation for understanding the world.

No people can survive without memory.

And History is the memory of the people.

That's how we'll tackle this course.

Here, madam!

Wait, use the towel.

I can put my head under water, look.

No no no, don't!

You'll get water in your ears.

I'm making a foam suit. Do you bathe naked too, mommy?

Rinse off Gaby, or we'll be here forever.

Sing, so I'll know you haven't drowned.

OK!

In the land of I don't remember

I take three steps and I'm lost

One step this way I wonder if I may

One step over there

Oh, what a big scare

I'm sorry Ma'am.

The train broke down again.

- How's your sister? - Fine.

How are you Gaby?

I'm fine. Mommy cooked my meat.

I'm sure it tastes better than mine.

Ma'am, Mrs. Luisa called to remind you about

your high school reunion.

Cross out Rodrigo. Did you?

Not yet, he might still make amends with Dolores.

He won't, he's already got a new girlfriend. Cross him out!

Did you cross him out?

Dolores is lucky to have such a devoted friend.

What does "divided" mean?

It is regrettable how some news media abuse their rights.

By preaching destabilization, they encourage subversive ideas.

- You're still here? - Hi.

Don't you have to get dressed?

A kiss?

Oh, you bought it.

It's beautiful! Gaby will love it.

It's so real! Touch it!

What are you doing here?

Off to bed.

It was quite a scare!

My wife's afraid I'll get a heart attack.

With these things you can't neglect the smallest detail.

If you neglect details, that's your problem, Macci.

I just did as I was told.

By whom?

Come on, Doctor! By you!

Ibañez and Dante set it all up with my men.

We advised, Macci. We're just consultants.

- We thought you couldn't make it. - My apologies.

- What about Elvira? - She's home grounded.

What's my friend being grounded for? Or is it classified?

Oh, at home she calls the shots. Just some liver trouble.

- Hello, Ibañez. - Hello, General.

Your wife Miller? Lost her already?

My maid's cousins were sent to Tucuman or thereabout.

She wasn't even told if they're dead or alive.

We lost the war a year ago!

We lost a battle, not the war dear.

Don't tell me it's dragging on!

I was in Spain last week with Ballesteros, a businessman

and a lifelong socialist. Guess what he said?

"We were better off opposing Franco."

Now that they're Government

they don't know whom to blame.

It's useless! 25 years trying to teach him that

talking business at the table is bad manners and spoils digestion.

Who's talking business?

Politics, then. Far worse.

We women are to blame too, for not steering the conversation.

Tell me about your baby boy Regina. I've heard he's huge.

Oh, he's gorgeous.

He weighed 9 pounds at birth!

Unbelievable! It must be the combined genetics.

Whom do you suspect Miller?

Oh no!

My mother was very tall. Actually...

How about you Roberto, were you at your daughter's birth?

No, I'm more like your husband. We're a different generation.

I think it's Alicia who's from another generation.

You're rather old fashioned, aren't you?

Yes, I am.

That child must be four or five now, isn't she?

She'll be five soon.

You two are really quite different, aren't you, Roberto?

Maybe that's the secret!

Yes, I imagine it must be somewhere!

I think she's unbearable.

And she thinks you deserved better than a barren woman.

You think Andrada never told her? She totally knows!

Pretending an interest in the American's kid.

"How about you Roberto, were you at your daughter's birth?"

Oh, Alicia, you're blowing it out of proportion.

What does she care if the stork brought Gaby or the gypsies.

She doesn't! But she knows I do!

She's just like her husband.

He always seems to imply

that anyone who disagrees with him is out!

And since she can only fire the maid,

she wrings our guts instead.

Did you notice?

She called the yank a cuckold, Regina a bitch, you a sorry fellow,

the husband rude, me an idiot. All in one sentence!

She picks on everyone except the General.

She does have her limits, you must admit.

'The gaucho Moreira opens the door ready for his last fight.

The officer and his soldiers

repel his violent onslaught bravely.

But, overcome by his brutal assault

they retreat into the corridors

through the back exits right & left.

A terrified Sergeant Chirino hides behind the well.

Moreira, thinking he's alone, attempts an escape.

Seeing him climb the fence, the sergeant

charges with his weapon.

Feeling the chill of the bayonet in his back, Moreira.'

Bravo, Chirino!

Hang on! Moreira fires his pistol at the sergeant.

Oh, sir, no!

Yes! He's only a cop!

'Moreira is badly wounded!

Vincenta enters through the left.'

Who plays Vincenta?

Cullen! Come on Cullen!

Cullen is a faggot! Cullen is a faggot!

"Make way, cowards!"

- You brute! - Cowards.

"Seeing him, she flies to him, collapsing with grief."

"A distant voice announces his death sings these verses:

"I'm staking all my lucky

on my lasso, because a love that is born Creole

is not repelled by death.

Because a weather-beaten and sturdy gaucho."

Good morning.

Literature meets History.

Good morning, gentlemen.

Good morning, Professor.

You know Macarena's mother can't leave kindergarten.

She says she has to stay there all day.

Today, she wanted to leave and Maqui wouldn't let her.

She clung at her leg, crying and crying

I wouldn't miss it for the world!

But you're never late! How are you?

Oh, just this once I have to leave early!

- You look gorgeous! Love the dress! - Doesn't she look great?

The latest style. You've lost weight!

Me? I started dieting half an hour ago.

Still wearing your hair long. How old-fashioned!

You'll never guess who sends you regards.

Anna?

Yesterday

Tomorrow

I ran into her at the supermarket.

She looks like our grandmother.

Her skin's very fair and thin skin wrinkles early.

That's not the problem. She's been through so much.

Her son was sent to the Malvinas war.

Her last remaining son.

What about the others?

The eldest married and left.

All her children turned out subversive.

That's how she raised them.

How do you know they were subversives?

Well they were taken, surely for good reason!

- What are you talking about? - Let's change the subject.

Anna, how's your son?

- He must be all grown up. - He turned 17 in February.

Pablo is 17 years old? My God, Anna, you're old!

Clara and I were pregnant at the same time.

They called us the "captive globes".

Doesn't Clara ever come?

She went to Caracas 5 years ago.

Wasn't that when you left?

I left 7 years ago.

7? Really?

1976, shortly after the military coup.

I am single.