Return to El Salvador
Encyclopedia
Return to El Salvador is a 2010 documentary film directed by Philadelphia filmmaker Jamie Moffett
and narrated by Martin Sheen
. It chronicles the rebuilding of El Salvador
in the years after the Salvadoran Civil War and explores the impact a lasting legacy of violence and unrest has had on those who survived, fled, and are now seeking to return.
and the leftist guerrilla organization, the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front
(FMLN), resulted in civilian deaths as the Salvadoran Army bombed and raided villages thought to be sympathetic to the FMLN. Many of these Salvadoran Army soldiers were trained and supported by the United States military at its School of the Americas (now known as WHINSEC), located in Ft. Benning, Georgia. The Revolutionary Government Junta in power targeted many well-known figures. Óscar Romero
was the fourth Archbishop of San Salvador
and spoke out against the poverty, social injustice
, assassinations, and torture
caused by the U.S.-backed El Salvadoran government. He was assassinated on 24 March 1980. Other victims included six Jesuit priests of the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA), their cook, and her daughter were also shot and killed in 1989. The El Salvadoran army had branded the university as the intelligence behind the guerilla army. Later, the military told American advisers that a guerilla operating station had been established at the university. The ensuing raid, which found no evidence of a commend post, resulted in the massacre of the priests and their two female co-workers. In 1991, Colonel Benavides and Lieutenant Mendoza of the El Salvadoran army were found guilty of the crimes. In 1992, a U.N.
peace accord formally ended the El Salvadoran Civil War. The ruling government remained conservative until 2009, when Mauricio Funes
won the elections to bring the left-wing FMLN into power. Before his entry into politics, Funes gained popularity through his twenty-year career in journalism
, working with CNN Español and Canal 12, among other programs.
The film also interviews a family that speaks about their continued hunt for the truth about a murdered anti-mining activist, Marcelo Rivera. Rivera began speaking out against a mining project proposal by the Pacific Rim Company before his death. On June 18, 2009, Rivera's body was found at the bottom of a well. Although the police and attorney general inferred that Rivera had been drinking and was killed by blows to the head from gang members, Rivera's family maintain that he did not drink. The formal autopsy also showed the cause of death to be strangulation, not blunt force trauma. Moffett's film suggests a correlation between the way in which Rivera was killed and the death squad murders of the civil war, suggesting that El Salvadoran history may be repeating itself.
On the official website, Return to El Salvador is described as such:
, Washington City Paper
, The Toronto Sun, the Kansas City Star, and Huffington Post. Return to El Salvador has also been highlighted on several television programs and radio stations, including Oprah Radio. The film was screened at the 3rd Philadelphia Independent Film Festival and in other major U.S. cities such as Washington, D.C. and Kansas City. The movie also toured Canada
, screening in the cities of Toronto
, Ottawa
, Mississauga, Halifax, Vancouver
, and Edmonton
.
Jamie Moffett
-Personal background:Moffett attended Eastern University. After graduation, Moffett co-founded The Simple Way, a non-profit organization focused on community development in Kensington, Philadelphia along with Shane Claiborne in January 1998.-Career:...
and narrated by Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
. It chronicles the rebuilding of El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
in the years after the Salvadoran Civil War and explores the impact a lasting legacy of violence and unrest has had on those who survived, fled, and are now seeking to return.
Background
The El Salvadoran Civil War was a 12-year conflict (from 1980 to 1992) that killed over 70,000 people and displaced nearly one-quarter of the population. The fighting, which took place between the Salvadoran ArmySalvadoran Army
The Salvadoran Army or Ejército Salvadoreño is the land branch and largest of the Military of El Salvador. In 2006 the government of El Salvador approached the Israeli ambassador to El Salvador seeking assistance in modernizing its army.-The Football War:...
and the leftist guerrilla organization, the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front
Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front
The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front is, since 1992, a left-wing political party in El Salvador and formerly a coalition of five revolutionary guerrilla organizations...
(FMLN), resulted in civilian deaths as the Salvadoran Army bombed and raided villages thought to be sympathetic to the FMLN. Many of these Salvadoran Army soldiers were trained and supported by the United States military at its School of the Americas (now known as WHINSEC), located in Ft. Benning, Georgia. The Revolutionary Government Junta in power targeted many well-known figures. Óscar Romero
Óscar Romero
Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez was a bishop of the Catholic Church in El Salvador. He became the fourth Archbishop of San Salvador, succeeding Luis Chávez. He was assassinated on 24 March 1980....
was the fourth Archbishop of San Salvador
San Salvador
The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador...
and spoke out against the poverty, social injustice
Social injustice
Social injustice is a concept relating to the claimed unfairness or injustice of a society in its divisions of rewards and burdens and other incidental inequalities...
, assassinations, and torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
caused by the U.S.-backed El Salvadoran government. He was assassinated on 24 March 1980. Other victims included six Jesuit priests of the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA), their cook, and her daughter were also shot and killed in 1989. The El Salvadoran army had branded the university as the intelligence behind the guerilla army. Later, the military told American advisers that a guerilla operating station had been established at the university. The ensuing raid, which found no evidence of a commend post, resulted in the massacre of the priests and their two female co-workers. In 1991, Colonel Benavides and Lieutenant Mendoza of the El Salvadoran army were found guilty of the crimes. In 1992, a U.N.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
peace accord formally ended the El Salvadoran Civil War. The ruling government remained conservative until 2009, when Mauricio Funes
Mauricio Funes
Carlos Mauricio Funes Cartagena is the President of El Salvador. He won the 2009 presidential election as the candidate of the left-wing Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front political party and took office on 1 June 2009.-Biography:Funes is married to Dr. Vanada Pignado, who was involved in...
won the elections to bring the left-wing FMLN into power. Before his entry into politics, Funes gained popularity through his twenty-year career in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, working with CNN Español and Canal 12, among other programs.
Summary
Return to El Salvador explores the reconstruction of El Salvador, post-civil war. The film revisits the struggles of the nation and examines what drives over 700 Salvadorans to flee their homeland each day, often risking their lives to illegally enter countries in search of a better life for their families. The film also profiles a number of Salvadorans effected by the civil war. One couple, who fled death threats in the 1980s, finds asylum and a political platform in the United States. The film also follows a different couple who, after escaping the war, returned to El Salvador to work with churches and poor communities.The film also interviews a family that speaks about their continued hunt for the truth about a murdered anti-mining activist, Marcelo Rivera. Rivera began speaking out against a mining project proposal by the Pacific Rim Company before his death. On June 18, 2009, Rivera's body was found at the bottom of a well. Although the police and attorney general inferred that Rivera had been drinking and was killed by blows to the head from gang members, Rivera's family maintain that he did not drink. The formal autopsy also showed the cause of death to be strangulation, not blunt force trauma. Moffett's film suggests a correlation between the way in which Rivera was killed and the death squad murders of the civil war, suggesting that El Salvadoran history may be repeating itself.
On the official website, Return to El Salvador is described as such:
- "[The] film explores the hopes of the Salvadoran people and walks with them in their journey. Return to El Salvador represents the power and audacity of solidarity and challenges North Americans to question the global impact of their government on struggling nations."
Publicity and screenings
The film has been featured in many periodicals and news sites, including Philadelphia City PaperPhiladelphia City Paper
Philadelphia City Paper is a free alternative news weekly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was established in November 1981 as a spin-off of the now defunct WXPN Express newsletter. New issues are released every Thursday....
, Washington City Paper
Washington City Paper
The Washington City Paper is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.Founded in 1981, and published for its first year under the masthead 1981, taking the City Paper name in volume 2, by Russ Smith, it shared ownership with the Chicago Reader from 1982...
, The Toronto Sun, the Kansas City Star, and Huffington Post. Return to El Salvador has also been highlighted on several television programs and radio stations, including Oprah Radio. The film was screened at the 3rd Philadelphia Independent Film Festival and in other major U.S. cities such as Washington, D.C. and Kansas City. The movie also toured Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, screening in the cities of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Mississauga, Halifax, Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, and Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
.
Featuring
- Martin SheenMartin SheenRamón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
: Narrator - Hector Antonio Garcia Berrios: Himself
- Dean Brackley: Himself
- Monsenor Rosa Chavez: Herself
- Deysi Chene: Herself
- Maria Guardado: Herself
- Julio Hernandez: Himself
- Dr. Salvador Eduardo Menendez Leal: Himself
- Wilfredo Medrano: Himself
- David Morales: Himself
- Raul Moreno: Himself
- Betsy Morgan: Herself
- Ron Morgan: Himself
- Alex Orantes: Himself
- Ruth Orantes: Herself
- Marina Pena: Herself
- Corinna Ramos: Herself
- Luis Ramos: Himself
- Sonia Ramos: Herself
- Dr. Luz Estrella Rodriguez: Herself
- Oscar Cesar Rodriguez: Himself
- Luis Romero: Himself
- Dr. Claudia Tamara Rivera Schettin: Herself
- Robert E. White: Himself
External links
- Return to El Salvador on Facebook