El General

GALLERY

ABOUT THE FILM

Producer: Natalia Almada
Genre: Documentary
Program Length: 1 Episode/90 Minutes
Broadcast Date: July 20, 2010
 

The past and the present collide as filmmaker Natalia Almada brings to life audio recordings she inherited about her great-grandfather Plutarco Elias Calles, a revolutionary general who became president in 1924. In his time, Calles was called “El Bolshevique” and “El Jefe Maximo” (the foremost chief). Today, he is remembered as “el Quema-Curas” (priest –burner) and as a dictator who ruled through puppet presidents until he was exiled in 1936. Through his daughter’s recordings, EL GENERAL moves between the memories of a daughter grappling with history’s portrait of her father and the weight of his legacy on the country today. Time is blurred in this complex and visually arresting portrait of a family and country living under the shadows of the past. Co-production of ALTAMURA FILMS and ITVS in association with (LPB), with funding provided by the CPB and AMERICAN DOCUMENTARY | P.O.V.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

(no filmmakers)

EDWARD JAMES OLMOS

Artist

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