Uruguayan Post-dictatorial Documentary

Uruguayan Post-dictatorial Documentary: Memory, Affects, and Emotions analyzes how twelve Uruguayan documentaries from the re-democratization period harness the affective potential of film to inscribe the traumatic dictatorial past (1973–1985), construct memory discourses through which to interpret it, and engage spectators. This book fills a significant gap in the study of Southern Cone documentary film and, more specifically, in contemporary Uruguayan documentary. Whereas critics have predominantly focused on Argentine and Chilean post-dictatorial productions, analyses of comparable works from Uruguay remain scarce. Furthermore, it offers an original approach by foregrounding affects as a crucial element in the production of knowledge about the dictatorial past and its impact on the present. Produced between 2004 and 2015, the films examined in this study convene both dominant and marginalized narratives of the recent past. Crafted by seasoned filmmakers such as Mario Handler, José Pedro Charlo, and Virginia Martínez, as well as emerging directors including Maiana Bidegain, Juan Álvarez Neme, and Pablo Martínez Pessi, these works present diverse aesthetic and ideological perspectives.