The documentary as articulater of reconstruction of the historical memory around the indigenous genocide in Argentina.

An analysis of the configuration of the human element in Octubre Pilagá and Chaco

Abstract

The visual representation of genocidal processes and massacres has been a constant in human history, with cinema capturing interest in these themes since its early days, as seen in Ravished Armenia (1919). In Argentina, the indigenous genocide has been addressed by audiovisual discourse from various perspectives. Since the second half of the 20^th century, a critical perspective has emerged that reveals the vulnerability of indigenous communities, highlighting ideological differences between fiction and non-fiction cinema. Based on the analyses by Zylberman (2022) and the historicity documented by Campo (2012; 2020), this discussion offers an overview of the formal and ideological trajectory of a film corpus that represents indigenous otherness from a decolonial perspective. We will focus on documentaries like Octubre Pilagá (2010) and Chaco (2017) to analyze the documentary representation of the indigenous genocide. This approach allows for an examination of how this corpus interacts with Argentine political and social documentaries, employing methods that reveal material and symbolic elements contributing to the symbolic representation of indigenous otherness. In particular, the human element is analyzed as the core of the narrative, highlighting its central role in narrative construction and exposing the conditions that have perpetuated their vulnerability and exclusion in society, thus offering a critique of historical denial and proposing a reflection on indigenous identity and resistance. This analysis aims to contribute to the understanding of the audiovisual treatment of issues of justice and memory in the Argentine context.