Finding Oscar: Horror and Hope, After Unimaginable Massacre in Guatemala
APR 14 2017, 5:57 AM ET
‘Finding Oscar’: Horror and Hope, After Unimaginable Massacre in Guatemala
by RAUL A. REYES
The unimaginable horrors of the Guatemalan civil war can be seen through what took place in one village. But it took decades to piece together a massacre perpetrated by the country's military that defies the imagination.
The search for answers form the heart of a new documentary, "Finding Oscar," now opening nationwide. Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the film examines Guatemala's history - including U.S. support for the government at the time - and the war that that led to the horror of that one night, as well as the search for the children who would serve as living proof that the event occurred.
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Until one fateful night, Dos Erres was a typical village in Guatemala. It was largely removed from the civil war that had gripped the country for decades. Most of its inhabitants were farmers. It was home to about 40 families, including 70 to 80 children. It contained one school, two churches, and a community well located in the center of town. Although Dos Erres - the name means "Two Rs" - was situated in a remote section of the country, one resident recalls, "La vida era buena" - life was good.
That all changed on December 6, 1982. Acting on the false belief that some villagers were sheltering weapons for local guerilla fighters, government-backed commandos stormed the town and rounded up all of the inhabitants. After a night of brutality, rapes and interrogations, the decision was made to "disappear" the entire village.
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More:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/finding-oscar-horror-hope-after-unimaginable-massacre-guatemala-n746201
