The Official Story

After viewing the film The Official Story I felt saddened by what the main character Alicia had to endure. As we watch the story unfold she is burdened by the fact from the beginning that she is unable to have her own children and instead adopted a little girl, Gabby. Her feelings are evident when we watch her and her husband, Roberto, at a dinner party where she feels like one of the women puts her down and makes light of her situation. This topic can be especially hard for people who have experienced the pain of infertility. Although it is evident that this is a burden to her, it is obvious that she and Roberto love Gabby their adopted daughter with all of their hearts. I feel that due to Alicia's position as a history teacher at the high school she finds herself questioning what is going on with the politics in her country Argentina. She is the type of person who questions and persues until she gets an answer to her questions. She is troubled by the signs for the missing children in her city and starts to question the people who are close to her. She starts with her good friend Anna who was kidnapped and tortured because of her affiliation with a man Pedro. She questioned her priest who is unwilling to give her direct answers. She also questioned her husband, who although he seems to love her very much is unwilling to tell her the truth about the situation with Gabby. She ultimately keeps digging until she finds the truth herself by going to the hospital and meeting Sara, Gabby's biological grandmother. It is through this encounter with Sara that I feel Alicia comes to accept the fact that Gabby is an orphan of parents who were murdered political prisoners. She finally comes to grip with it in the final explosive scene where she confronts Roberto about it. It is interesting that even through all of the pain she was feeling, she was willing to do what was best for Gabby. Unfortunately even though Roberto was devoted to Gabby, he seemed more concerned with his shattered life, business and political downturn. I thought the film portrayed a mothers love to the fullest degree. Becky Bittinger