SPOILER ALERT!!!! REALLY, I MEAN IT!
The Official Story is an intensely moving look at the devastating results of the military dictatorship that had plagued Argentina from 1976 to 1983. This story focuses on the "disappeared" - those people who were kidnapped by the military in the middle of the night and never heard from again. Alicia (Aleandro) is a history teacher married to a well-respected man and together they share an adopted daughter, Gaby. Alicia slowly begins to question the circumstances surrounding Gaby's adoption and in the above scene, the true story of Gaby's birth mother and her "adoption" is brought to life by Sara (Ruiz), whom we discover has a very strong tie to the young girl.
This is certainly the most devastating scene I've ever encountered whose soundtrack is provided by arcade games (you can see one such game in the 2nd still). Sara presents Alicia with a series of photos of her daughter who was among the "disappeared." When she was kidnapped, she was pregnant and when Alicia sees that first photo and sees the startling resemblance to her darling Gaby, her world is turned upside down in an instant.
Both Aleandro and Ruiz do incredible, wrenching work here. It should be noted that this movie was made just 2 years after the dictatorship was overthrown, so all of these wounds both for the filmmakers and for the audience are extremely fresh and raw. All you have to do is look at Ruiz's face (stills 3 and 5) to see the years of strife and heartbreak she's experienced. And Aleandro, one of Argentina's most successful actresses, does a brilliant job of transitioning from total shock to utter despair. It is a startling moment in a movie full of startling moments. Amid the tears there is a definite bond that is formed between Sara and Alicia that only fuels their ambition to uncover the truth and no longer abide by the "official story." The film is a wonderful history lesson as well as a beautifully crafted work that tells a compelling and harrowing story. And you will most certainly bow to the brilliance that is Norma Aleandro.
