Under the Flags, the Sun

In 1954, a conflict broke out in Paraguay between the government and the army. That conflict was resolved in favour of the army: on 4 May of that year, the army seized power, and General Alfredo Stroessner became the new leader. It marked the beginning of a dictatorship that would last for 35 years, a military regime characterised by brutal repression of any form of opposition, which cost the lives of tens of thousands of political opponents. He was fiercely anti-communist and was therefore tolerated by the US. It was not until 1989 that he was ousted.

During those 35 years, much was captured on film – footage intended to shape the national identity, celebrate the regime and glorify Stroessner. For his first documentary, the Paraguayan director Juanjo Pereira has delved into 120 hours of archive footage sourced from all corners of the world. The fascinating film he has distilled from this material can be seen as an archaeology of the present.