Granito: How to Nail a Dictator

Synopsis: A documentary focused on the role of filmic and archival documentation in the prosecution of a genocide case. During Guatemala’s brutal civil war, filmmaker Pamela Yates captured damning footage of the Guatemalan military’s campaign against Mayan civilians. Twenty-five years later, her footage became evidence in an international war-crimes case against the former commander of the army. Her quest for justice is the subject of this film. Featuring Nobel Prize winner and indigenous Guatemalan activist, Rigoberta Menchú, who is challenging Pérez in the presidential election, the film’s director, Pamela Yates, and by Fredy Peccerelli, director of the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation. The film documents his team’s work to unearth mass graves in a search for those killed by the military, even as he faces threats from clandestine groups that want the truth to stay buried.
Language: English
Country: United States
Year of release: 2012
Year of production: 2011
Notes: Human Rights Watch podcast on the film available at http://www.hrw.org/node/97391
Documentation: Transcript available on the democracynow website: http://www.democracynow.org/2011/9/15/granito_how_to_nail_a_dictator
Subjects: Law; Media studies; Politics & government
Keywords: documentary films; Guatemala; war crimes; legal evidence; prosecution (legal); film footage; archival film

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Notes: New Day Films is a US-based, filmmaker-run, production and distribution company that has been providing award-winning films to educators since 1971. Democratically run by more than 100 filmmaker members, New Day delivers over 150 titles on social and political issues that illuminate, challenge and inspire. Topics include ageing, human rights, religion, law & criminal justice, etc. Sale on DVD, or online streaming via New Day Digital - http://www.newdaydigital.com/

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