Invasion: A Diary of Panama's U.S. Invasion

(Invasion: A Diary of Panama's U.S. invasion)
Abner Benaim | Documentary

2014 | 94 minutes | Panama

The invasion of Panama by the U.S on Christmas and New Year of 1989 – when American troops deposed dictator Manuel Noriega, killing an unknown number of civilians in the process- serves as an excuse to explore how a people remember, transform, and often forget their past in order re-define their identity and become who they are today.

Synopsis

The invasion of Panama by the U.S on Christmas and New Year of 1989 – when American troops deposed dictator Manuel Noriega, killing an unknown number of civilians in the process- serves as an excuse to explore how a people remember, transform, and often forget their past in order re-define their identity and become who they are today.

Invasion documents the collective memory utilizing a combination of reenactments and interviews of the 1989 U.S. Invasion: Defense forces who fought symbolic battles, politicians who justify their actions, friends of the church, from civilians to former General Noriega.

Did the “gringos” bring democracy or destruction? Was Noriega a victim or a villain? Was he an anti-Imperialist or a CIA accomplice gone rogue? Was it about drug trafficking or arms dealing, or perhaps neither? Or does it really just boil down to the fact that the U.S. wasn’t ready to relinquish control of the Panama Canal? These questions, many of which go intentionally unanswered, constitute the first Panamanian attempt to reconcile with a national trauma that many Panamanians have been all too eager to forget.

Citation
Main credits

Benaim, Abner (film director)

Other credits

Cinematography, Guido De Paula; editor, Andrés Tambornino; music, Ulises Conti.


Citation
Cataloging
Keywords
Panama, Noriega, invasion, U.S. history, Panama Canal, drug trafficking, 1989, CIA, armed conflict, dictatorship, violence, Abner Benaim, oscar academy award, spanish, spanish language, latin america, latin american cinema, latin american film, ibero america, latin, latinx, latino, latina,,history, context, narrative, past, chronicle, lore, annals, historic, personal history, archive, record, saga, biography, memoir, study,latin american studies, caribbean american studies, island studies, latin american culture, latin american history, latin american politics, caribbean american culture, caribbean american history, caribbean american politics, latin american languages, latin american and caribbean studies, hispanic american studies, hispanic people, hispanic culture, hispanic politics,north america, america, us, usa, united states, united states of america, us mexico and canada, map of north america, north american countries, states of north america, provinces of north america, countries of north america, continental america,international relations, global relations, global studies, international studies, international affairs, intercontinental relations, intercontinental studies, foreign studies, foreign relations, national relations, national studies, cross-continental studies, cross-continental relations,political science, micropolitics, macropolitics, political theory, political education, political movements, political thinking, political criticism, poly sci, polysci, political sci, political sciences, political history, history of politics, political systems,sociology, anthropology, psychology, sociological, sociological perspectives, conflict theory, human conflicts, sociological thinking,conflict perspective, topics in sociology, sociology topics, sociology studies, social studies, people and cultures, human relations, human relationships, cultural studies, culture studies ,oscar® contenders, oscar® awards, oscar® nominees, oscar® nominee, oscar contenders, oscar® consideration, oscar awards, oscar nominees, oscar nominee, oscars, oscar consideration, oscar® finalist, academy awards, academy award, academy award nominee, academy award nominees, academy award consideration,human rights, public rights, equal rights, freedom of expression, basic human rights, united nations, activism, human rights activism, human rights council, human rights commission, universal human rights, universal rights,central america, honduras, costa rica, guatemala, belize, el salvador, nicaragua, panama, america central, mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot, central america volcanic arc, centroamérica, panama canal; "Invasion: A Diary of Panama's U.S. Invasion"; Pragda Films
Clips
No clips are available yet.
Festivals

Academy Awards® - Panama's submission for Best Foreign Language Film
Panama International Film Festival - Best Documentary; Audience Award for Best Picture of Central America and the Caribbean
Miami International Film Festival - Best Director
Málaga Film Festival - Audience Award
Biznaga de Plata
FICBAQ Barranquilla - Best Caribbean Film
IDFA International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

DIRECTOR: Abner Benaim

NATIONALITY: Panama

YEAR: 2014

GENRE: Documentary

LANGUAGE: Spanish

COLOR / B&W: Color

GRADE LEVEL: College, Adults

SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE

AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE

Existing customers, please log in to view this film.

New to Pragda? Register to request a quote.