From NetFlix:

Argentinean schoolteacher Alicia (Norma Aleandro) is forced to question her government’s official story of the “Dirty War” of the 1970s when she suspects that her adopted daughter, Gaby, may be the child of a murdered political prisoner. But her quest for truth takes a heavy toll on her relationship with her conservative husband (Héctor Alterio). This wrenching historical drama won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1986.

To appreciate this film it might help to read the Economist’s obituary of Emilio Massera.

Nothing brings history to life more than a film that puts us in contact with that period of history. Spain and consequently Latin America have a long history of bloody conflicts between liberals and conservatives. As a horrific example we have the “Dirty War” of the 1970s in Argentina. Massera was convicted of murder and torture in 1985, the same year in which this film was made. So making this film in 1985 must have taken some courage. In part of the film you see the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo marching. They started to march in 1977. The founder of the Mothers was put in a concentration camp. She and two others were “disappeared”.

Both husband and wife characters are excellent actors. She represents the comfortable upper class women who prefer to understand nothing of politics. He represents the conservatives who hated liberals and thought nothing of murdering supposedly liberal mothers (many were innocent bystanders) and then adopting their orphans. Their marriage and the sadness that ensues is a metaphor for the division in Argentina.

There is no actual rape or torture shown. Rather the wife’s lifelong girl friend relates how she was tortured and raped by the conservative Argentinian Naval officers.

The scene in which Alicia goes to (Catholic) confession shows the hypocritical complicity of the Catholic hierarchy who were for the most part conservative supporters of the “Dirty War”. You can read about the role of the Argentinian Catholic hierarchy in the “Dirty War”.

Spanish with subtitles. Note the absence of “s” in the Argentinian accent.