Quartile rating: 4.5/10 · 1 rating
Documentary by Mateo Gutiérrez about the life of his father, Héctor "Toba" Gutiérrez Ruiz (1934-1976), which includes interviews with people who witnessed moments in the life of the former president of the House of Representatives, assassinated by the Uruguayan dictatorship
This personal documentary by Mateo Gutiérrez about his father Héctor 'Toba' Gutiérrez Ruiz, a prominent Uruguayan politician assassinated during the dictatorship, carries genuine emotional and historical weight. The narrative structure—son investigating father's life and death—gives the plot a compelling intimacy. However, as a documentary relying on archival footage and talking-head interviews, the cinematography is functional rather than distinctive. Acting is not applicable in the traditional sense, though interview subjects vary in expressiveness. The subject matter—political assassination under Latin American dictatorship—while historically important, follows a relatively familiar documentary format for the genre. The ending, tied to the unresolved trauma of state violence, carries emotional resonance without offering neat closure, which suits the material.