Since Spring 2016 I have been offering Span 430 on the topic of Latin American dictatorships. “Cine y dictadura” explores the breakdown of democratic governments in Latin America in the 1960s and 70s and the emergence of authoritarian regimes. Through a selection of movies we are able to address topics such as the use of torture, disappearances, and other counterinsurgency methods by Latin American military officials, as well as various forms of resistance, efforts to reconstruct civil society and the struggle for justice among the victims.

The reception of the course and the importance of this historical period of time moved me to teach this course multiple times: Spring 2016, Fall 2018, Spring 2020, and Fall 2020.