Under the Flags, the Sun

Archival material reveals a forgotten dictatorship

In 1989, the 35-year regime of Alfredo Stroessner in Paraguay fell. This brought an end to one of the longest-running authoritarian regimes in the world. Left behind was a treasure trove of audiovisual material: newsreels, television broadcasts, propaganda films, and declassified government documents. For decades, this material was forgotten, until researchers rediscovered it and shed new light on how Stroessner established and celebrated his power.

Propaganda as an instrument of power

The recovered footage shows how the past was deliberately used to indoctrinate people. The regime built a strong cult of personality around Stroessner. Propaganda films and state broadcasters shaped the national identity according to the wishes of the regime. The documentary Under the Flags, the Sun exposes these mechanisms and shows how image and language served as instruments of power. Foreign archives supplement the Paraguayan material and highlight the international alliances that maintained the dictatorship during the Cold War.

A past that continues into the present

The documentary does not stop at history. In Paraguay, descendants of the regime's leaders are still in power. Under the Flags, the Sun is therefore not a completed story, but an archaeology of the present. You can see the film at De Balie in Amsterdam. Are you interested? Use the link for tickets.