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| Falklands war TV drama tells forgotten story of Argentina's soldiers | Falklands war TV drama tells forgotten story of Argentina's soldiers |
| (7 days later) | |
| Late at night on 19 June 1982, the SS Canberra docked in Puerto Madryn, a small town on the Patagonian coast, carrying the first Argentinian troops to have laid down their weapons after their commander surrendered to British forces in the Falklands. | Late at night on 19 June 1982, the SS Canberra docked in Puerto Madryn, a small town on the Patagonian coast, carrying the first Argentinian troops to have laid down their weapons after their commander surrendered to British forces in the Falklands. |
| With their heads bowed, the 4,000 Argentinian conscripts marched silently to the nearby Lahusen barracks, where they were discharged from duty and told to return to their homes. | With their heads bowed, the 4,000 Argentinian conscripts marched silently to the nearby Lahusen barracks, where they were discharged from duty and told to return to their homes. |
| Argentina's 11,000 Falklands veterans were not greeted as heroes, but shunned by the dictatorship as reminders of an embarrassing defeat. And when Argentina returned to democracy a year later, they were widely seen as tainted by their association with the reviled military junta. | Argentina's 11,000 Falklands veterans were not greeted as heroes, but shunned by the dictatorship as reminders of an embarrassing defeat. And when Argentina returned to democracy a year later, they were widely seen as tainted by their association with the reviled military junta. |
| Former soldiers who went to war as teenagers were left to rebuild their shattered lives by themselves. There were 649 Argentinian servicemen killed in the war, and a further 350 veterans have reportedly killed themselves since, but their story has been widely ignored as the war faded in a kind of collective amnesia. | Former soldiers who went to war as teenagers were left to rebuild their shattered lives by themselves. There were 649 Argentinian servicemen killed in the war, and a further 350 veterans have reportedly killed themselves since, but their story has been widely ignored as the war faded in a kind of collective amnesia. |
| Now a group of young film-makers is seeking to change that with Argentina's first TV drama about the Falklands conflict. Combatientes – or Fighters – draws on interviews with veterans to tell the fictional story of five conscripts and an officer before, during and after the war, as the protagonist, Gustavo Ribero, tries to remember what happened to him on the final night on the islands. | Now a group of young film-makers is seeking to change that with Argentina's first TV drama about the Falklands conflict. Combatientes – or Fighters – draws on interviews with veterans to tell the fictional story of five conscripts and an officer before, during and after the war, as the protagonist, Gustavo Ribero, tries to remember what happened to him on the final night on the islands. |
| Written and directed by Tomás de las Heras, 29, and Jeronimo Paz Clemente, 31, it was aired on the state TV channel Canal 7. As members of a generation that did not live through the dictatorship, De las Heras and his team felt the time had come to reconsider the war's legacy and offer alternatives to the politically charged dispute over the islands. | Written and directed by Tomás de las Heras, 29, and Jeronimo Paz Clemente, 31, it was aired on the state TV channel Canal 7. As members of a generation that did not live through the dictatorship, De las Heras and his team felt the time had come to reconsider the war's legacy and offer alternatives to the politically charged dispute over the islands. |
| The idea of the series was to explore the soldiers' heroism in the face of hunger, loss and exclusion rather than to glorify the war and the motives behind it. | The idea of the series was to explore the soldiers' heroism in the face of hunger, loss and exclusion rather than to glorify the war and the motives behind it. |
| "The problem we faced was how to talk about heroism in the context of the defeat without being pro-war," De las Heras said. "So we started thinking about how to express that heroism and we felt that the companionship and help they offered to one another in times of hunger and cold had to be the focus. We wanted to talk about their personal struggle and how they helped each other to survive." | "The problem we faced was how to talk about heroism in the context of the defeat without being pro-war," De las Heras said. "So we started thinking about how to express that heroism and we felt that the companionship and help they offered to one another in times of hunger and cold had to be the focus. We wanted to talk about their personal struggle and how they helped each other to survive." |
| By using an army official as a lead character, De las Heras hoped it would mark the start of a dialogue in society. | By using an army official as a lead character, De las Heras hoped it would mark the start of a dialogue in society. |
| "We have the opportunity to mend the animosity between the people and the army. This is a country with a long history of military coups. To have a protagonist who is a lieutenant and then try and humanise him was a risk. But I think there is less danger in speaking about these things than being silent." | "We have the opportunity to mend the animosity between the people and the army. This is a country with a long history of military coups. To have a protagonist who is a lieutenant and then try and humanise him was a risk. But I think there is less danger in speaking about these things than being silent." |
| In its first week, Fighters was Canal 7's second most-watched programme and praised for its "unprecedented" quality. Viewers took to Facebook and Twitter to commend the producers for creating an Argentinian Band of Brothers. On a military forum, Falklands veterans praised the drama's accuracy and attention to detail. | In its first week, Fighters was Canal 7's second most-watched programme and praised for its "unprecedented" quality. Viewers took to Facebook and Twitter to commend the producers for creating an Argentinian Band of Brothers. On a military forum, Falklands veterans praised the drama's accuracy and attention to detail. |
| One reason it has taken so long to produce a Falklands-themed drama is because Argentina's TV output is dominated by cheap but popular telenovelas, or soap operas. Fighters won a competition and secured the 1.6m pesos (£200,000) budget provided by the government through the National Institute for Audio-visual Arts and Cinema, and the University of San Martín. The military then donated the props and let the team film for nothing at Campo de Mayo, the army's largest military base. | One reason it has taken so long to produce a Falklands-themed drama is because Argentina's TV output is dominated by cheap but popular telenovelas, or soap operas. Fighters won a competition and secured the 1.6m pesos (£200,000) budget provided by the government through the National Institute for Audio-visual Arts and Cinema, and the University of San Martín. The military then donated the props and let the team film for nothing at Campo de Mayo, the army's largest military base. |
| The writer admitted the diplomatic tension between Argentina and Britain, as well as the publicity surrounding the 30th anniversary of the Falklands war, may have helped with funding. | The writer admitted the diplomatic tension between Argentina and Britain, as well as the publicity surrounding the 30th anniversary of the Falklands war, may have helped with funding. |
| Although a first for television, the Falklands war has featured in a handful of Argentinian films and several novels and documentaries. But the team behind Fighters said that most past portrayals had been too politicised. | Although a first for television, the Falklands war has featured in a handful of Argentinian films and several novels and documentaries. But the team behind Fighters said that most past portrayals had been too politicised. |
| "Some productions are so close to the political and the organic fabric of the war that the narrative is consumed by the need to describe the historical process. | "Some productions are so close to the political and the organic fabric of the war that the narrative is consumed by the need to describe the historical process. |
| "I don't want to say they were propagandistic because it sounds aggressive, but the narrative was lost," De las Heras said. "We didn't want to vindicate [the veterans], politically or socially. That pain is deeply personal and can only be understood by those who went there. We need to look at it in a personal, human way because politics and propaganda desensitises." | "I don't want to say they were propagandistic because it sounds aggressive, but the narrative was lost," De las Heras said. "We didn't want to vindicate [the veterans], politically or socially. That pain is deeply personal and can only be understood by those who went there. We need to look at it in a personal, human way because politics and propaganda desensitises." |
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