official story movie reviews

The Official Story

Five years after the arrival of her adopted daughter, Alicia finds herself asking some questions. Where, exactly, did the little girl come from? Was she indeed obtained through the normal adoption channels in Argentina, as her husband insists, or was she stolen from a mother who was a political prisoner? Is the real mother still alive? Is it moral for her to ignore those questions, just because she loves her adopted daughter so much?

These are the heartbreaking dilemmas of “The Official Story,” a film that deals with the turmoil in Argentina through the story of a single family. Alicia is married to Roberto, a wealthy, powerful man with connections in industry and government. Her life centers around their adopted daughter. She is vaguely aware of some of the unhappy realities of recent Argentinean politics – the roundups of leftists and opponents of the government, who became “missing persons” and were presumably killed in a secret holocaust. But until Ana, an old high school friend, reenters her life, Alicia does not understand how those events might affect her.

At first Ana does not want to talk about the experiences she has been through. But then she begins to reopen her wounds. She tells Alicia that her lover was a leftist opponent of the government. After her lover disappeared, Ana was taken captive by the government and tortured for information about his whereabouts. She could tell them nothing. Eventually, she was released.

Ana’s story makes Alicia uncomfortable. She tells her husband about it, but he dismisses it as rumor and invention. Alicia begins to realize that her husband may be part of the repressive establishment. One day, walking downtown, she comes across a demonstration by family members of the missing. She hears stories that some of the prisoners were pregnant, and that their children were taken away at birth. Could that be the story of her own daughter? In one of the most powerful scenes in the movie, she takes down the clothing her daughter came dressed in, and touches it gently, and we can read her mind: She is thinking that her daughter’s natural mother was the person who put these clothes on the baby girl.

“The Official Story” is part polemic, part thriller, part tragedy. It belongs on the list with films like “ Z ,” “ Missing ” and “ El Norte ,” which examine the human aspects of political unrest. It is a movie that asks some very hard questions. Should Alicia search for the real mother of her daughter? Is her own love no less real? What would be “best” for the little girl?

Alicia meets an old woman who may, or may not, be the grandmother of the adopted daughter. The two women become close, in a strange way. Political arrogance and heartlessness may have taken a child from one family and assigned it to another, but at some deep and fundamental level, these two women understand each other. Both of them are made to face the reality of losing a daughter, and although they should be enemies, they find strength from each other. The way this particular relationship is developed is one of the wonders of this film, and provides its emotional center, as love and honor try to find a way to exist in the face of official cruelty.

Alicia is played in the movie by Norma Aleandro , whose performance won the best actress award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. It is a performance that will be hard to forget, particularly since so much of it is internal. Some of the key moments in the film come as we watch Aleandro and realize what must be taking place inside her mind, and inside her conscience. Most political films play outside the countries that they are about; “The Official Story” is now actually playing in Argentina, where it must be almost unbearably painful for some of the members of its audiences. It was almost as painful for me.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

• Chela Ruiz as Sara
• Hector Alterio as Roberto
• Chunchuna Villafane as Ana
• Norma Aleandro as Alicia
• Hugo Arana as Enrique

Screenplay by

• Aida Bortnik
• Atilio Stampone

Photographed by

• Felix Monti
• Juan Carlos Macias

Directed by

• Luis Puenzo

Produced by

• Marcelo Pineyro

Leave a comment

Now playing.

Megalopolis

The Last of the Sea Women

The Wild Robot

We Live in Time

Look Into My Eyes

The Front Room

Matt and Mara

The Thicket

The Mother of All Lies

Latest articles.

FX’s “The Old Man” Starts to Lose Its Step in Season Two

A 9/11 Memory: A Historic Day, and Just Another One

TIFF 2024: Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Elton John: It’s Not Too Late, Paul Anka: His Way

TIFF 2024: Unstoppable, Triumph, April

The best movie reviews, in your inbox.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• About Rotten Tomatoes®
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening This Week
• Top Box Office
• Coming Soon to Theaters
• Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming Movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 77% Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Link to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• 95% Rebel Ridge Link to Rebel Ridge
• 97% Red Rooms Link to Red Rooms

New TV Tonight

• 83% How to Die Alone: Season 1
• 59% Emily in Paris: Season 4
• 20% Three Women: Season 1
• -- Universal Basic Guys: Season 1
• -- My Brilliant Friend: Story of the Lost Child: Season 4
• 50% The Old Man: Season 2
• -- Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy: Season 1
• -- The Circle: Season 7
• -- Jack Whitehall: Fatherhood with My Father: Season 1
• -- In Vogue: The 90s: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 61% The Perfect Couple: Season 1
• 77% Kaos: Season 1
• 85% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
• 100% Dark Winds: Season 2
• 100% Slow Horses: Season 4
• 97% English Teacher: Season 1
• 95% Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist: Season 1
• 94% Only Murders in the Building: Season 4
• 93% Bad Monkey: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

• 95% Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist Link to Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Best Horror Movies of 2024 Ranked – New Scary Movies to Watch

Toronto Film Festival 2024: Movie Scorecard

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Pachinko ‘s Lee Min-ho Spills Season 2 Secrets

Movie Re-Release Calendar 2024: Your Guide to Movies Back In Theaters

• Trending on RT
• Best Horror Movies
• Top 10 Box Office
• Toronto Film Festival
• Free Movies on YouTube

The Official Story Reviews

Sometimes the most enduring political statements are made without guns and banners.

Full Review | Oct 9, 2023

Outstanding performances all around. A powerful film highlighting the ramifications of an Argentinian dictatorship. A must-watch film.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Mar 4, 2021

[A] proudly intelligent, powerfully moving drama, a "political" film that is much, much more than that.

Full Review | Feb 28, 2020

Simultaneously serves as a crackling political thriller and a deeply moving family drama.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Apr 23, 2019

A rare film, which makes a powerful political statement while telling a touching personal story. In his feature debut, Puenzo shows commitment to human rights without imposing explicit political doctrine.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Dec 23, 2006

An almost textbook example of how to use a personal story to tell and illuminate a much larger one (are you listening, Oliver Stone?).

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 23, 2006

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 26, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 31, 2005

The Official Story is part polemic, part thriller, part tragedy. It belongs on the list with films like Z, Missing and El Norte, which examine the human aspects of political unrest.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Oct 23, 2004

From the legacy of anguish left by Argentina's military juntas, Luis Puenzo has created a glowing film.

Full Review | Aug 30, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Feb 25, 2004

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Nov 7, 2002

A wrenching and painful drama that crystallizes the horror and the obscenity of political activities that annihilate family solidarity in the name of ideology.

Full Review | Mar 16, 2002

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

The Official Story

During the final months of Argentinian Military Dictatorship in 1983, a high school teacher sets out to find out who the mother of her adopted daughter is. During the final months of Argentinian Military Dictatorship in 1983, a high school teacher sets out to find out who the mother of her adopted daughter is. During the final months of Argentinian Military Dictatorship in 1983, a high school teacher sets out to find out who the mother of her adopted daughter is.

• Luis Puenzo
• Aída Bortnik
• Norma Aleandro
• Héctor Alterio
• Chunchuna Villafañe
• 55 User reviews
• 30 Critic reviews
• 25 wins & 9 nominations total

Top cast 54

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia The filming began in 1983, the same year that the military dictatorship ended in Argentina. The filming was cancelled due to the threats received by the director, actors and particularly to Analia Castro 's family. It was announced that filming was cancelled, but production continued in secret until 1985.

Roberto : Where's Gaby?

Alicia : Horrible, isn't it?

Roberto : What's horrible?

Alicia : Not knowing where your daughter is!

• Alternate versions The 2015 restoration is extended by 2 minutes due to the inclusion of restoration credits at the beginning and end of the film. The opening restoration credits play over the opening scenes in Alicia's classroom. During the restoration end credits, the background goes black and the instrumental version of 'El país de nomeacuerdo' is looped.
• Connections Featured in At the Movies: Young Sherlock Holmes/Fool for Love/Rocky IV/The Official Story (1985)
• Soundtracks El pais del nome acuerdo Written by María Elena Walsh Sung by Analia Castro

User reviews 55

• Aug 9, 2003
• How long is The Official Story? Powered by Alexa
• November 8, 1985 (United States)
• Die offizielle Geschichte
• Historias Cinematograficas
• Progress Communications
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• Nov 10, 1985

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 52 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

Letterboxd — Your life in film

Forgotten username or password ?

• Start a new list…
• Add all films to a list…
• Add all films to watchlist

Add to your films…

Press Tab to complete, Enter to create

A moderator has locked this field.

Add to lists

Where to watch

The official story, la historia oficial.

Directed by Luis Puenzo

A truth too frightening to ignore

Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1983. In the last and turbulent days of the military dictatorship, Alicia, a high school history teacher, begins to ask uncomfortable questions about the dark origins of Gaby, her adopted daughter.

Norma Aleandro Héctor Alterio Hugo Arana Guillermo Battaglia Chela Ruiz Patricio Contreras Aníbal Morixe María Luisa Robledo Jorge Petraglia Analía Castro Chunchuna Villafañe Daniel Lago Augusto Larreta Laura Palmucci Leal Rey Floria Bloise Lidia Catalano Carlos Weber Susana Behocaray Cecilia Blanche Angelica Bogué Zulema Caldas Eduardo Camacho Paula Canals Diego Cosín Jorge Chernov Alicia Dolinsky Horacio Erman Mónica Escudero Show All… Oscar Ferrigno Jr. Luis Gianneo Eduardo Gondell Gabriel González Ricardo Hamlin Fernando Hoffman Amparo Ibarlucía Deborah Kors José María López Tony Middleton Luisa Onetto Fabián Pandolfi Gastón Presas Pablo Rago Fabián Rendo Maximiliano Reussi Elvira Romei Adrián Schiavelli Jorge Sorvik Silvia Suárez Andrea Tenuta Beatriz Thibaudin Marcos Woinsky Horacio Yervé

Director Director

Luis Puenzo

Producers Producers

Carlos Latreyte Nora Puenzo Luis Puenzo

Writers Writers

Aída Bortnik Luis Puenzo

Casting Casting

Alberto Casavecchia

Editor Editor

Juan Carlos Macías

Cinematography Cinematography

Félix Monti

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

Rodrigo Espina Patricia Oyuela Raúl Outeda

Lighting Lighting

Ricardo Ormello

Camera Operator Camera Operator

Héctor Morini

Production Design Production Design

Abel Facello

Composer Composer

Atilio Stampone

Songs Songs

María Elena Walsh

Sound Sound

Abelardo Kuschnir

Makeup Makeup

Blanca Olavego

Progress Communications Historias Cinematográficas Cinemanía

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

English Spanish

Releases by Date

10 may 1985, 13 sep 1985, 31 jan 1986, 27 mar 1986, 10 mar 2006, 15 may 2015, 03 apr 1985, 01 jun 1985, 24 oct 1985, 08 nov 1985, 15 nov 1985, 22 jan 1986, 04 dec 1986, 07 feb 1987, 27 may 1987, 20 may 1989, 24 mar 2016, 02 jul 2006, releases by country.

• Theatrical 18
• Premiere Mar del Plata Film Festival
• Theatrical Re-release
• Premiere Toronto International Film Festival
• Theatrical (Cartagena Film Festival)
• Premiere Cannes Film Festival
• Theatrical U
• Theatrical 16
• Theatrical T
• Theatrical (Muestra Internacional de Cine)

Netherlands

• TV 16 Nederland 1

South Korea

• Theatrical 15
• Premiere Madrid
• Premiere Barcelona
• Theatrical NR

112 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by agustín ★★★★★

"estas cuatro fotos solamente de ellos... y nuestra memoria" NUNCA MÁS.

Review by Agustina ★★★★★

“Todo el país se fue para abajo. Solamente los hijos de puta, los ladrones, los cómplices y el mayor de mis hijos se fueron pa' arriba”

Review by Matias Ramos ★★★★★

Comprender la historia, es prepararse para comprender al mundo. Ningún pueblo podría sobrevivir sin memoria, y la historia es la memoria de los pueblos.

Memoria, Verdad y Justicia.

Review by Martina ★★★★★

“Porque quiero saber si Gabi es su nieta, o la nieta de otra abuela.. o de una que ni siquiera tiene fuerza para dar vueltas a la pirámide con una foto”  Memoria, verdad y justicia. Nunca más.

Review by Adrian Zachow ★★★★★

In my opinion there isn't a film that captures any better the open wounds left by the case of the missing people following the Argentinean dictatorship in the 70's. Also, in my opinion, this probably happens to be the best single film Argentinean cinema has to offer. It's 1983 and democracy has returned. Norma Aleandro adopted 5 year old daughter is a source of joy until she is made to question whether she was really given up for adoption as a baby, or was stolen by the military. That her husband (Hector Alterio) suspiciously avoids the topic makes her think the worst. Aleandro's journey is painfully poignant - without ever being cheaply melodramatic - and her performance is simply sublime.…

Review by Andrea Franco ★★★★½

"...en el país de no me acuerdo"

Review by lau ★★★★★

un pueblo sin memoria está condenado a repetir su historia

Review by Nicolás Vargas ★★★½

History is written by murderers.

Review by Delfi 🌼 ★★★★★

Si hay algo que me hace hervir la sangre es saber que la mayoría de los torturadores, asesinos y sus cómplices, nunca fueron condenados. Es realmente sorprendente que la película haya salido en 1985 cuando, a pesar del retorno a la democracia, los militares seguían utilizando sus sistemas de seguimiento y persecución, y ejerciendo presión. Me gustaría decir que es algo que quedó en el pasado, y que aprendimos de la historia, pero hasta en la actualidad seguimos escuchando los mismos discursos del y, algo habrán hecho; y ni hablar de todos los juicios pendientes que hay. Creo que es imposible ser argentino en particular o latinoamericano y que esta historia no te llegue; la película nos entrega una verdad…

Review by Raul Marques ★★★½ 5

"There is nothing more moving than a burgeois woman with guilt".

Review by valentina ★★★★½

"La historia la escriben los asesinos"

Review by Thorkell August Ottarsson ★★★★½

I can understand why this film won the Oscar as the best Foreign Language Film. What a powerhouse. It manages to capture life, in all its mess as it slowly unfolds a powerful story of an incredible magnitude.

A history teacher believes the official story the government tells her to teach. By chance she stumbles upon facts that undermines her faith, facts that could change her whole life not just because her faith is based on lies but because it has something to do with her adopted daughter and husband.

This is how a conspiracy film should be made. Not clean and simple but with all the complexities of human emotions and daily struggle. Powerful stuff. One of the best film of the 80s!

Similar Films

Mentioned by

Select your preferred backdrop

Select your preferred poster, upgrade to remove ads.

Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. Please consider upgrading to a Pro account —for less than a couple bucks a month, you’ll get cool additional features like all-time and annual stats pages ( example ), the ability to select (and filter by) your favorite streaming services, and no ads!

Film Intuition: Review Database

By Jen Johans. Over 2,500 Film, Streaming, Blu-ray, DVD, Book, and Soundtrack Reviews. Part of https://www.filmintuition.com

• Blu-ray Review: The Official Story (1985)

• Podcast: Watch With Jen

Navigation Bar

• Film Intuition: Home Page
• Review Database
• Donate on ko-fi
• Jen's P.O.V. (News & Misc. Articles)

Search Film Intuition

Most Read Reviews Right Now

You've Got Movies!

Enter your email to subscribe:

Powered by FeedBlitz

Review Archive

• ►  January (2)
• ►  December (2)
• ►  November (1)
• ►  October (1)
• ►  September (3)
• ►  August (2)
• ►  July (1)
• ►  May (3)
• ►  April (1)
• ►  March (1)
• ►  February (1)
• ►  January (1)
• ►  December (6)
• ►  November (3)
• ►  October (8)
• ►  September (5)
• ►  August (6)
• ►  July (6)
• ►  June (4)
• ►  May (9)
• ►  March (7)
• ►  February (5)
• ►  January (4)
• ►  December (4)
• ►  November (6)
• ►  October (7)
• ►  September (6)
• ►  August (7)
• ►  July (4)
• ►  June (10)
• ►  April (7)
• ►  January (5)
• ►  December (5)
• ►  November (12)
• Blu-ray Review: Rodin (2017)
• Blu-ray Review: Reprisal (2018)
• Blu-ray Review: Eighth Grade (2018)
• Film Movement DVD Review: La Familia (2017)
• Movie Review: Sadie (2018)
• DVD Review: The Witch Files (2018)
• Film Movement DVD Review: Between Land and Sea (2016)
• Blu-ray Review: The Row (2018)
• DVD Review: Freaky Friday (2018)
• Movie Review – CinemAbility: The Art of Inclusion
• Movie Review: Loving Pablo (2018)
• ►  September (8)
• ►  August (15)
• ►  July (14)
• ►  June (11)
• ►  May (12)
• ►  April (6)
• ►  March (4)
• ►  May (1)
• ►  September (1)
• ►  August (1)
• ►  July (7)
• ►  October (2)
• ►  August (4)
• ►  July (3)
• ►  June (3)
• ►  May (4)
• ►  March (2)
• ►  February (2)
• ►  November (9)
• ►  August (10)
• ►  July (13)
• ►  June (19)
• ►  May (21)
• ►  April (29)
• ►  March (29)
• ►  February (20)
• ►  January (20)
• ►  December (14)
• ►  November (11)
• ►  October (3)
• ►  April (2)
• ►  March (3)
• ►  December (3)
• ►  November (4)
• ►  October (6)
• ►  September (7)
• ►  June (14)
• ►  May (11)
• ►  April (14)
• ►  March (18)
• ►  February (21)
• ►  January (27)
• ►  December (25)
• ►  November (23)
• ►  October (31)
• ►  September (38)
• ►  August (37)
• ►  July (38)
• ►  June (51)
• ►  May (47)
• ►  April (40)
• ►  March (60)
• ►  February (34)
• ►  January (29)
• ►  December (24)
• ►  November (21)
• ►  October (34)
• ►  September (36)
• ►  August (32)
• ►  July (39)
• ►  June (50)
• ►  May (54)
• ►  April (44)
• ►  March (45)
• ►  February (45)
• ►  January (47)
• ►  December (34)
• ►  November (44)
• ►  October (46)
• ►  September (58)
• ►  August (34)
• ►  July (25)
• ►  June (31)
• ►  May (39)
• ►  April (42)
• ►  February (36)
• ►  January (39)
• ►  December (32)
• ►  November (36)
• ►  October (59)
• ►  September (17)
• ►  August (27)
• ►  July (15)
• ►  June (29)
• ►  May (23)
• ►  April (33)
• ►  March (30)
• ►  February (53)
• ►  January (144)

Select Label Glossary

Copyright note, regarding photos.

The Official Story

Koch Lorber, 112 min., in Spanish w/English subtitles, R, DVD: $19.95 Volume 20, Issue 1

by Randy Pitman

January 11, 2005

Rating: 3.5 of 5

An Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film, Luis Puenzo's 1985 The Official Story serves up a harrowing tale of political oppression in modern Argentina, seen through the plight of a history teacher named Alicia (Norma Aleandro), who begins to suspect that her adopted daughter might not have been freely given up by her original parents. Aleandro is excellent as the loving mother, who doggedly searches for the truth, running up against political walls right and left--even from her own conservative businessman husband (Hector Alterio), who is gradually revealed to be a truly heinous character. Eventually, Alicia meets the placard-carrying mothers and grandmothers whose children have been taken away by the corrupt military regime as punishment for entertaining liberal political beliefs. In the powerful finale, Alicia is forced to weigh maternal love against fundamental ethics in a confrontation that threatens to tear the family apart. Making its second appearance on DVD, The Official Story looks far superior here to its original, widely maligned transfer and boasts solid Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, but no extras. Highly recommended. ( R. Pitman ) [Blu-ray/DVD Review—Oct. 16, 2018—Cohen, 115 min., in Spanish w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $19.99, Blu-ray: $29.99—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1985’s The Official Story features a fine transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include an interview with director Luis Puenzo (39 min.), and a restoration featurette (2 min.). Bottom line: newly restored and remastered, this Oscar winner shines on Blu-ray.]

Star Ratings

As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.

Most Popular

Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today:

MOVIE REVIEW : A HAUNTING ‘OFFICIAL STORY’

• Copy Link URL Copied!

Horror seeps into the elegantly persuasive and haunting Argentine film “The Official Story” (Cineplex) in the most unexpected fashion. Two affectionate women friends sit, warm and tiddly with their after-dinner liqueurs in a comfortably affluent living room. It is 1983, and this is a reunion. With the crumbling of the military dictatorship, the honey-blond Ana (Chunchuna Villafane), like many others, has come back to Buenos Aires from exile in Europe.

Sitting close beside her, Alicia (Norma Aleandro), a dark-haired, dark-eyed professor of history, asks gently why she left without a word to anyone. And Ana lets terror loose in this serene, secure household.

Although tears stream down her face, Ana is never histrionic as she explains: During the reign of the junta, police burst into her house late one night, questioned her about a political ex-lover, abducted her. Naked, alternately half-drowned and electric-shocked, she was in their hands 36 days, suffering “all their treatment” until she was finally released and fled the country.

Alicia’s reaction might be ours: stupefaction to hear about tortures from this woman, educated, beautiful, clearly “one of us.” The second part of Ana’s story--that at times she could not separate her screams from others in that place, women forcibly separated from their babies--alarms and disturbs her oldest friend. Childless for years, Alicia and her prosperous businessman-husband Roberto, closely allied with the military leadership, adopted an infant daughter five years ago. Their lives now revolve around her, but they have no plans to tell little Gaby she is not theirs, and Alicia is still fragile whenever the matter of adoption is mentioned. She takes Ana’s words about mothers and children almost as an affront.

This scene, one of the finest in a film of surpassing subtlety and insight, is a brilliant device by director, co-writer Luis Puenzo. With this harrowing encounter between Alicia and Ana, he intertwines his personal and political themes: the angry, sorrowing “Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo” have become a presence in this household.

(These are the implacable women who insist by their daily presence and their photograph-dotted placards that the government account for the desaparecidos , more than 9,000 citizens, many of them young people, swept up by the state in its “dirty war” of the 1970s.)

What follows is Alicia’s lonely, determined search for the truth--and the outcome of her efforts is not a solution but another question. Puenzo’s canniness is his milieu: Roberto’s gleaming multinational corporation; Alicia’s friends from girlhood, women like herself, elegant, smoothly unlined. Ana puts her finger on it when she looks at one of these 40ish women and says how strange it is not to have changed at all while their world has undergone such upheaval. It is a truly slumbering society.

The writers have a good ear for repression far more subtle than police in the night. Roberto may sigh to his men friends about the indulgences that the beautiful Argentine women deserve simply for being their charming selves. But let Alicia be gone more than once when he comes home at night and his response is icy and contemptuous.

We follow Alicia, teaching “the official version” of Argentine history to a questioning, fractious group of boys at a privileged high school, or following a story whose end she really does not want to know. The warmth, the candor, the intelligence of Norma Aleandro’s towering and deeply affecting performance makes it clear how she won best actress at Cannes (where she shared the award with Cher for her performance in “Mask”), Cartagena and now the New York Film Critics Assn. (“The Official Story” is Argentina’s entry in the best foreign language film Oscar category.)

But there is no performance here that is not fully shaded: Chunchuna Villafane’s exquisite Ana, strong and contemporaneous, standing out among her conventional schoolmates like some fearless goddess; Chela Ruiz as Sara, the Plaza grandmother, a performance of great simplicity, or Hector Alterio’s superb insights as the increasingly desperate Roberto, which let us understand what we may not be able to forgive.

More to Read

The 8 best movies (and one TV show) we saw at the Toronto International Film Festival

Sept. 12, 2024

Tyrese Gibson says ‘arrest’ after being found in contempt of court was ‘very traumatic’

Sept. 11, 2024

Woody Harrelson wants snacks, soft drinks at his cannabis cafe. He needs Newsom’s signature

Only good movies

Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Three finalist cities announced to host Sundance Film Festival in 2027

Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock and Al Pacino lead an all-star Beyond Fest lineup

Entertainment & Arts

Harvey Weinstein indicted on additional sex crimes charges ahead of New York retrial

With the fall festivals wrapping up, do we have an Oscar front-runner?

Emanuel Levy

Cinema 24/7

• LEVY UNFILTERED
• POP CULTURE

Official Story, The (1985): Luis Puenzo’s Argentinean Oscar-Winning Film, Starring Norma Aleandro

Luis Puenzo’s The Official Story, the 1985 Argentinean Oscar-winning film, was inspired by the legacy of anguish, created by Argentina’s military juntas.

This important film, cogently written and beautifully acted, takes us to the place where politics meets the human heart.

Although the desaparecidos, the thousands of Argentines who were abducted during the juntas’ counterinsurgency campaigns of the l970s, are central to the film, director Puenzo and his co-writer, Aida Bortnik, focus not on the mothers who lost their sons, but on a middle-class woman who adopted a daughter.

Through strange circumstances, Alicia, a high school history teacher married to a prosperous businessman, comes to believe that the baby her husband brought home five years ago may be the daughter of a young couple, killed by a right-wing death squad.

The Official Story is one of those rare films that manage to make a powerful political statement while telling an exceptionally good and touching story.

Puenzo’s film is unwaveringly committed to human rights, yet it imposes no explicit ideology or doctrine. The further miracle is that this is the first feature film by Puenzo.

Norma Aleandro’s luminous performance, as a privileged, sheltered woman who gains political consciousness in the midst of a social turmoil, won the top acting award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Oscar Context:

The Official Story won the 1985 Oscar Award for Best Foreign Picture.

Directed by Luis Puenzo Written by Aída Bortnik, Puenzo Produced by Marcelo Piñeyro Cinematography Félix Monti Edited by Juan Carlos Macías Music by Atilio Stampone Song: María Elena Walsh

Production companies: Historias Cinematograficas Cinemania Progress Communications

Distributed by Almi Pictures (US theatrical)

Release date: April 3, 1985 (Argentina)

Running time: 112 minutes

PROFESSOR / CRITIC / AUTHOR

The Official Story – The film that lifted the lid on Videla’s Argentina

On the day that the ex-dictator of Argentina, Jorge Rafael Videla , died in prison at the age of 87, I went to see The Official Story at the University Católica in the Chilean capital, Santiago. The Argentine film was made and released shortly after the return to democracy and the establishment of human right commissions to investigate the abuses carried out by the military rulers in the country, and it addresses the removal of young children from their subsequently- disappeared parents and relocation with families deemed suitable by the regime. The film’s screening in Santiago came as part of a season of Argentine cinema and happened to coincide with Videla’s death. It was only coincidence that Argentina’s most renowned cinematic work on the subject of the dictatorship should be showing on this day, but it did bring more relevance to the occasion.

Military rule in Argentina lasted from 1976 until 1983 and during that time thousands of people were detained, tortured, murdered or disappeared, and commonly all of these things. Opposition was resolutely quashed and individual rights were curtailed. Although the name of Videla has never reached the international levels of notoriety as those of his Chilean counterpart, General Pinochet, the official number of dead and missing in Argentina is far higher than in Chile, and covers a shorter time period. The Chilean dictator managed to evade justice his whole life until dying peacefully in his own bed in 2006 at the age of 91, whereas Videla was convicted of numerous offences, including murder, kidnap, torture and the forced removal of babies, and saw his days out in a prison cell. In this case, at least, an element of justice was served.

La Historia Oficial or The Official Story (released in the UK as The Official Version ) is a 1985 film directed by Luis Puenzo which is framed from the perspective of Alicia Ibáñez, a married, well-to-do woman who works as a history teacher and whose naïve ignorance manifests in class as she rigidly tows the line with textbooks issued by the authorities, refusing to countenance any views which are sourced externally or offer an alternative perspective. She lives in a bubble of middle-class contentment and privilege with her businessman husband Roberto and their adopted five-year old daughter Gabriela. When her friend Ana returns to Buenos Aires from exile, having previously been tortured over her relationahip with an alleged dissident, Alicia gradually starts to wake up to the dark realities of Argentina, placed conveniently out of sight and mind for the upper sectors of society.

Her disquiet is most aroused by the suspicion that her beloved little Gabi is one of the many children to have been taken from their biological parents. Deeply troubled by her suspicions, she comes into contact with an elderly woman who believes that Gabi could in fact be the child of her own disappeared daughter. Alicia’s newfound awareness leads her to question several other aspects of her previous mindset, and she starts listening to the ‘other side’, the students and colleagues that she previously rebuffed, and Roberto’s left-wing father and brother whose political views are vehemently opposed to those of her husband. This causes serious problems in the hitherto calm waters of the family home.

The character of Alicia serves to represent the well-off sector of Argentine society that remained largely oblivious to the abuses being carried out by the regime, either genuinely unaware or through selective vision. While Alicia falls into the first category, it is clear that Roberto is firmly in the second, and his own involvement with the authorities remains shadowy throughout. When the film was released, Alicia’s awakening mirrored that of many Argentine citizens at the time as the democratic government’s establishment of investigations into abuses and the end of repression exposed the crimes of the military. The Official Story contrasts the role of Alicia with that of more radical left-wing thinkers and of right-wing collaborators to allow her character to become a conduit for the guilt and remorse of certain sectors of a society that had been complicit in the imposition of such a brutal system.

Puenzo wrote the screenplay in secret and was preparing to clandestinely make the film when the military junta collapsed and it became possible to work openly on the project. The crew filmed on the streets of Buenos Aires and included images of the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo , bringing the association widespread attention as women protested in the capital’s main square over the disappearance of children and loved ones. The Grandmothers, identified by their white headscarves as they continue to congregate in the plaza to this day, highlighted the importance of The Official Stor y to their campaign with the following statement: ‘The story casts a light on the drama of the children missing for political reasons, whose identity was obliterated while being raised by families that were not their own, taken as war booty, in a sophisticated example of slavery. With a human touching story it contributes to abolish oblivion, stirring people to collaborate, and at the same time aiding us, the Grandmothers of the Plaza, in our search.’

It must be said that The Official Story does look somewhat dated these days as the wardrobe and soundtrack both reflect the less-fondly remembered styles of the eighties, while Puenzo at times shoots his film in the tones of a Nescafe advert. But it nonetheless represents a key moment in Argentine cinematic history, as one of the first works that addressed the wider societal implications of military rule in the country. It performed very well at the national box office, as the public demonstrated a willingness to examine this traumatic extended episode of the recent past.

The Official Story was also well-received internationally, winning Best Foreign Film at the 1985 Oscars, while Norma Aleandro was awarded the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Festival that same year. (In a neat roundabout touch, Puenzo’s daughter Lucia Puenzo is herself competing at this year’s Cannes Festival with her film Wakolda .)The global success was also something new to Argentine cinema and it marked Puenzo out as not only a filmmaker of cogent political content but also as a purveyor of astute narrative convention. The film’s release and international recognition came three years after the Costa-Gavras film Missing , set in the Chilean coup of 1973 and the subsequent abuses and violence that occurred there, which was also critically acclaimed on the global stage. These two films emphasised the desire of a certain strand of international filmmaker and audience to address the brutality that was taking place in Latin America’s Southern Cone at the time, even as most governments remained silent over human rights abuses and maintained full diplomatic relations with the military regimes of Argentina and Chile.

Despite its outdated surface, The Official Story remains a very important work due to its examination of the socio-political contexts of the return to democracy in Argentina, which it personalises greatly through the roles of the main characters, and its success in transplanting these issues onto an international stage. The critic Jorge Abel Martín summed it up best at the time of its release: according to him, the film is ‘a human and moving document that contributes to prevent oblivion… the painful portrait of a piece of life, a gigantic mirror that returns us thousands of faces.’

Follow Sounds and Colours: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Mixcloud / Soundcloud / Bandcamp Subscribe to the Sounds and Colours Newsletter for regular updates, news and competitions bringing the best of Latin American culture direct to your Inbox.

Turn autoplay off

Turn autoplay on

Please activate cookies in order to turn autoplay off

• Jump to content [s]
• Jump to site navigation [0]
• Jump to search [4]
• Terms and conditions [8]
• Your activity
• Email subscriptions
• Account details
• Linked services
• Press office
• Guardian Print Centre
• Guardian readers' editor
• Observer readers' editor
• Terms of service
• Privacy policy
• Advertising guide
• Digital archive
• Digital edition
• Guardian Weekly
• Buy Guardian and Observer photos

Today's paper

• Main section
• G2 features
• Comment and debate
• Editorials, letters and corrections
• Other lives
• EducationGuardian
• Life & style
• Environment

The Official Story (La Historia Oficial)

Details: 1985, Rest of the world, 12 mins

Direction: Luis Puenzo

With: Chunchuna Villafane ,  Hector Alterio and Norma Aleandro

User reviews

Today's best video, the week in tv, 'get your arse out, mate', spanish football player's stunning solo goal, whitewater kayaking: 'i wanted to spend every day on the river'.

• Most viewed

Last 24 hours

• 2. Star Wars Episode VII: what we know as shooting starts
• 3. The Goonies sequel confirmed by director Richard Donner
• 4. After Gremlins and The Goonies, what other 80s films need a remake?
• 5. 2 States and screen kisses: 'Bollywood is cranking it up a notch'
• More most viewed
• 2. Quiz: Can you match each of these Bond villains with their own evil plot?
• 3. Russian cinemas fined for showing The Wolf of Wall Street
• 4. 2 States and screen kisses: 'Bollywood is cranking it up a notch'
• 5. After Gremlins and The Goonies, what other 80s films need a remake?
• All today's stories

Film search

Latest reviews.

Noah review – 'a preposterous but endearingly unhinged epic'

Russell Crowe wrestles angels and demons in Darren Aronofsky's $125m mashup of the ancient story of Noah, writes Mark Kermode

Honour review – Shan Khan's 'conflicted' first feature

The Double review – Richard Ayoade's dark doppelganger drama

Divergent review – lacks lustre and grit

A Story of Children and Film review – Mark Cousins's 'spine-tingling' visual essay

Sponsored feature

• Across the site
• Film reviews
• Film trailers
• Video interviews
• License/buy our content
• Terms & conditions
• Accessibility
• Inside the Guardian blog
• Work for us
• Join our dating site today
• © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.

The Official Story (1985)

watch later

not interested / hide

Play Trailer

subscription

Read our dedicated guide on how to watch The Official Story (1985)

100 Best Movies on Kanopy Right Now

9 Best Streaming Services That Allow Downloads

6 Best Streaming Services with Dolby Atmos

How To Cancel Your YouTube TV Subscription in 2024

Amazon Prime Video Review 2024

Isabella Endrinal

Norma Aleandro is excellent here.

What it's about

What stands out, add a comment, more like this in, bipoc stories, directors under 30 years old, challenging.

Fruitvale Station (2013)

Compassionate filmmaking reconstructing a 24-hour police brutality story – with a stunning lead by Michael B. Jordan

Open Your Eyes (1997)

The startlingly surreal Spanish psychothriller that inspired modern cult classic Vanilla Sky

Babylon (2022)

An intoxicating and lavishly designed experience of Hollywood hedonism

Paris Je T’aime (2006)

An anthology ode to the City of Love stacked with talent behind and in front of the camera

Mutt (2023)

A Sundance-awarded film that actually stands the test of time, a brave new addition to the trans cinema canon

Society of the Snow (2023)

J.A. Bayona remembers the humanity, not the sensationalism, of the Andes miracle

Holy Spider (2022)

A timely and terrifying noir that takes on systemic abuse and corruption in Iran

Julia (2008)

A kidnapping goes sideways in this intense, nerve-wracking thriller

Living (2022)

Simply told and profoundly moving, this parable covers nothing less than life itself

Familia (2023)

A tense and confrontational family gathering in an idyllic Mexican olive ranch

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .

• TV Listings
• Cast & Crew

The Official Story Reviews

• 1 hr 52 mins
• Drama, Family
• Watchlist Where to Watch

Oscar winner about an Argentine woman (Norma Aleandro) who suspects her adopted child may have been kidnapped during the government's campaign against opponents. Hector Alterio. Sara: Chela Ruiz. Ana: Chunchuna Villafane. Enrique: Hugo Arana. Benitz: Patricio Contreras. Jose: Guillermo Battaglia. Nata: Maria Luisa Robledo. Luis Puenzo directed.

The first important film to emerge from Argentina after the fall of its military regime, THE OFFICIAL STORY is a deeply moving drama examining one of the saddest chapters in that country's history. The tranquil lives of Alicia (Norma Aleandro), a history professor; her husband, Roberto (Hector Alterio), a high-powered businessman; and their five-year-old daughter, Gaby (Analia Castro), are thrown into turmoil when an old friend who was tortured and exiled by the military reveals that, under the junta, babies were taken from political prisoners and sold to well-connected adoptive parents. Realizing that Gaby may be one of these children, Alicia begins to investigate her daughter's background and meets Sara (Chela Ruiz), one of the women who march each day at the Plaza de Mayo to protest the disappearance of loved ones in the junta's "dirty war." Coming to grips with her political naivete, Alicia confronts Alterio, who proves to be deeply involved with the reprehensible junta. An impressive feature debut by Luis Puenzo, who invests his scenes with tremendous emotional impact, THE OFFICIAL STORY won the 1986 Oscar for Best Foreign-Language Film. Poignantly political, its power derives from the depiction of the junta's tragic effect on individual lives. The screenplay was written with Aleandro (a political exile who returned to her native Argentina after the change of government) in mind, and she delivers a tour de force performance that won her the Best Actress Award at Cannes. Originally, Puenzo intended to shoot the film in secret, using hidden 16mm cameras, but the junta was voted out of office just after cowriter Aida Bortnik completed the screenplay.

The Official Story (1985) / Drama aka La Historia Oficial aka The Official History aka The Official Version MPAA Rated: R for language and some violence Running time: 112 min. Cast: Norma Aleandro, Hector Alterio, Chela Ruiz, Chunchuna Villafane, Hugo Arana Director: Luis Puenzo Screenplay: Aida Bortnik, Luis Puenzo Review published December 26, 2007 I suppose it's with some irony that 1985's Best Foreign Language Oscar-winner, The Official Story , which tells of some of the continuing social problems incurred in the aftermath of the systematic torture and killings of those suspected of being terrorists in 1970s Argentina (aka "The Dirty War"), is actually a work of fiction.  Still, while the characters at the heart of the film aren't based on actual people, their back story is still in large part based on fact.  Thousands were rounded up, and later disposed into unmarked graves, leaving their loved ones perpetually searching for clues as to their whereabouts, not knowing if they were alive, dead, or even if their disappearance were completely disconnected with the whole debacle.  Norma Aleandro ( Son of the Bride, Cousins ) stars as Alicia, a history teacher and wife of a well-to-do businessman, Roberto (Alterio, Burnt Money ).  The marriage isn't the best, but they do take pride in raising their young daughter Gaby the best they can, never telling her or anyone else that she is actually adopted.  The one thing that soon begins to trouble Alicia is, as news of the atrocities committed splash into the streets in the forms of protest, she wonders if Gaby's parents might be alive, or if they were among the missing dispatched by the previous regime.  Roberto urges her to drop the matter, but seems to know more than he's letting on, which only adds fuel to the fire burning within Alicia to get to the heart of what really happened.  Interesting subtexts abound, not the least of which happens to be the shady nature of what we call history itself.  Alicia's students are increasingly undermining her authority as a teacher by claiming that their texts are full of lies and half-truths, as the control of information has always been done by the government that controls their approval, covering for those who often murdered those that would release information that would be damaging if public knowledge were to suspect.  Challenging arguments pervade this thoughtful story, as we watch Alicia continue to become more and more distraught at the facts that she uncovers, wondering if whether it might actually be, as Roberto insists, best that she not know the full story.  Knowing everything probably won't change the lives of anyone involved, but yet, the need to know cannot be sated until all of the facts are discovered.      Also troubling is the fact that Roberto may have been somehow responsible for not only covering up for the government in their pursuit of suspected terrorists, but may have also been the one to rat out their friends to them.  In addition, the wealth they have amassed could very well have been due to his complicity in the affair of rooting these people out, seizing financial opportunities that arose through his questionably unethical dealings.  One can read the character of Alicia as allegorical to the plight of the nation as a whole, having to decide on whether it is best for national unity to look ignore the events of the past for the prosperity of the present, or to confront the fact that who they are today is a direct result of the heinous sins committed by previous political regimes. Shot with somber realism, Puenzo's ( Old Gringo, La Peste ) delivery is refreshing in that it doesn't go for the heartstrings, and yet the story is still quite emotionally compelling.  Superb acting by all involved, especially by Aleandro and Atlerio, deliver the gripping realism that allows us to believe that one woman would sacrifice all she is and has ever been just to find out the truth about how she became it.  Qwipster's rating : © 2007 Vince Leo

The Official Story

Directed by:, screenwriter:.

Ratings & Reviews

Cast & Info

Collections, similar titles.

Not Available

Oh no! Turner Classic Movies isn't available in your region.

Welcome, DISH customer! Please note that we cannot save your viewing history due to an arrangement with DISH.

Watchlist and resume progress features have been disabled.

The Official Story (1985) Stream and Watch Online

Watch 'the official story' online.

Want to behold the glory that is ' The Official Story ' on your TV or mobile device at home? Tracking down a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the Luis Puenzo-directed movie via subscription can be challenging, so we here at Moviefone want to do the work for you. Below, you'll find a number of top-tier streaming and cable services - including rental, purchase, and subscription options - along with the availability of 'The Official Story' on each platform when they are available. Now, before we get into the various whats and wheres of how you can watch 'The Official Story' right now, here are some finer points about the Progress Communications, Historias Cinematográficas, Cinemanía drama flick. Released November 8th, 1985, 'The Official Story' stars Norma Aleandro , Héctor Alterio , Hugo Arana , Guillermo Battaglia The NR movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 52 min, and received a user score of 75 (out of 100) on TMDb, which collated reviews from 183 well-known users. What, so now you want to know what the movie's about? Here's the plot: "Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1983. In the last and turbulent days of the military dictatorship, Alicia, a high school history teacher, begins to ask uncomfortable questions about the dark origins of Gaby, her adopted daughter." 'The Official Story' is currently available to rent, purchase, or stream via subscription on Kanopy, Apple iTunes, YouTube, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Tubi TV, HBO Max Amazon Channel, and Cohen Media Amazon Channel .

'The Official Story' Release Dates

Similar movies.

Movie Reviews

Follow Moviefone

Latest trailers.

Review | Transformers One movie review: refreshing origin stories of Optimus Prime and Megatron

Transformers one, featuring the voices of scarlett johansson and chris hemsworth, returns to the franchise’s animated roots in this prequel.

Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson and Jon Hamm headline an all-star voice cast in a film that reinvigorates a franchise that had languished for too long under the questionable stewardship of Michael Bay.

While Bay and Steven Spielberg remain listed as producers, Transformers One could not be further removed from the chaotic live-action spectacles that fetishised fast cars and scantily clad babes over the adventures of feuding alien robots.

Transformers One relocates the action to their home planet of Cybertron, to explore how a pair of best friends became sworn enemies and why the fate of their homeland was thrown into existential peril.

Long before Optimus Prime fled to Earth, assumed the appearance of a Freightliner articulated truck and befriended a young boy named Sam Witwicky, he was a simple, non-transforming miner known as Orion Pax (Hemsworth).

Advertisement

Where Kamala Harris Stands on the Issues: Abortion, Immigration and More

She wants to protect the right to abortion nationally. Here’s what else to know about her positions.

• Share full article

By Maggie Astor

• Published July 21, 2024 Updated Sept. 12, 2024, 8:08 a.m. ET

Follow along with live updates and debate analysis on the Trump and Harris campaigns .

With Vice President Kamala Harris having replaced President Biden on the Democratic ticket, her stances on key issues will be scrutinized by both parties and the nation’s voters.

She has a long record in politics: as district attorney of San Francisco, as attorney general of California, as a senator, as a presidential candidate and as vice president.

Here is an overview of where she stands.

Ms. Harris supports legislation that would protect the right to abortion nationally, as Roe v. Wade did before it was overturned in 2022, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

After the Dobbs ruling, she became central to the Biden campaign’s efforts to keep the spotlight on abortion, given that Mr. Biden — with his personal discomfort with abortion and his support for restrictions earlier in his career — was a flawed messenger. In March, she made what was believed to be the first official visit to an abortion clinic by a president or vice president.

She consistently supported abortion rights during her time in the Senate, including cosponsoring legislation that would have banned common state-level restrictions, like requiring doctors to perform specific tests or have hospital admitting privileges in order to provide abortions.

As a presidential candidate in 2019, she argued that states with a history of restricting abortion rights in violation of Roe should be subject to what is known as pre-clearance for new abortion laws — those laws would have to be federally approved before they could take effect. That proposal is not viable now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .