ABOUT THE PROJECT: 

"VERDAD, MEMORIA, Y JUSTICIA" has been the slogan of human rights organizations in Argentina since the country was restored to democracy in 1983, following 7 years of brutal dictatorship. “Memoria Presente” explores the links between those three emblematic words: Truth. Memory. Justice. How is memory a necessary part of creating justice in a post-dictatorial society? How can truth be a form of justice?

As part of a multimedia oral history project this film profiles San Lorenzo, a community on the outskirts of the city of La Plata, and el Puente de Fierro, the bridge that dominates its landscape. The community is mobilizing to recover silenced memories of the dictatorship. The bridge was the site of crimes against humanity during the dictatorship, but little is known about it. 

These human rights violations do not live in the past.  Many Argentines are still relentlessly pursuing justice for their missing loved ones. The community of San Lorenzo is concerned not only with the human rights violations of the past, that took place at the bridge, but also with the poverty and marginalization that characterizes the daily life of its residents in the present. The fates of the bridge and the community are bound up together. 

As one of the people I interviewed in January put it:  

“There can be nothing—no history, no memory, and no justice that is not a political construction of the present.  A history conceived of in the present, in the future, is the only thing capable of saving the past— and that's the only kind that I'm interested in." 

FAQ:

 WHO'S BEHIND THIS PROJECT?

     Allison Corbett

I have spent the last eight years working with Latino communities in the U.S. and in Latin America: on community-based health projects in Nicaragua; ethnographic photography in Ecuador; English as a Second Language education for adults in Virginia, Chicago and Washington, DC; I also worked as a Spanish interpreter in a children’s hospital and community health centers. After listening to people’s stories for years as an interpreter and educator, I now hope to use storytelling through documentary filmmaking and multimedia oral history as a way to amplify marginalized voices of those working to transform their communities. 

My passion for facilitating cross-cultural communication has been the connecting thread throughout my diverse career and has led me to study oral history at Columbia University in New York City, where I am currently a student.

    Kaitlin Vaughan

After we met in a class about trauma and postmemory, Kaitlin became my brainstorming partner and photographer. She traveled with me to Argentina in January, documenting the project and interviews through still photography and film. Kaitlin received her BFA in Photography and Film from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she created photography and installations that conceptualized personal and collective trauma. She is currently finishing up her thesis in Museum Anthropology at Columbia. She, too, is a storyteller, intent on exploring through writing and visual art the stories of those people (and things) who often go unnoticed.

Unfortunately, Kaitlin is unable to return to Argentina with me this summer, but has continued to be an invaluable source of ideas and support.

WHAT DOES THE PROJECT NEED? 

In order to finish this film I need to go back to San Lorenzo this summer to continue interviewing and filming. Your donation will fund:

- International travel expenses and local transportation (like bus fares)

- Logistical expenses like printing and copying archival materials

- Equipment needs: microphones, tripods, lights

- Stipend for a local camera-person

- Post-production costs for transcription and editing software

WHAT OTHER KIND OF SUPPORT DO YOU HAVE? 

While in Argentina I have a range of generous supporters who will be providing me with housing and production assistance, which cuts down significantly on the cost of making this film and to whom I will be forever grateful.   

WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THIS PROJECT AFTER YOU ARE DONE?

The film will be made available online and screenings will be held in both New York and Argentina. This film will also be available to the community of San Lorenzo to use for their own purposes in raising awareness about the plight of their community. Additionally, all interviews conducted for this project with people involved in human rights work will be archived in Argentina and New York City, for future use as sources for historians, scholars, and creative cultural workers.