Guatemala: When the Mountains Tremble (1984)
Directed by Pamela Yates
Sub-Genres - Biography, Military & War, Politics & Government, Social Issues |
Run Time - 120 min. |
Countries - United States |
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Synopsis by Eleanor Mannikka
This documentary on human rights abuses in Guatemala is narrated by Rigoberta Menchú, winner of the 1992 Nobel Peace prize for her courageous struggle against the military regime in her country. Menchú is a Native American and in this documentary, it is explained that three of her family members were killed during the long fight against the repressive government. One segment of the film shows the bodies left in the wake of a government massacre of civilians. Menchú maintains that as long as the U.S. continues to support the Guatemalan government with military or economic aid, the lives of civilians will continue to be the cost of that support. Two fictional segments in the film illustrate U.S. concerns about business and corporate interests, rather than with human rights.
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Keywords
Guatemala, human-rights, massacre, oppression, regime, struggle