Garage Olimpo

As a person who suffered enormously at the hands of military establishment in Argentina, director Marco Bechis is the best person to know more about his film "Garage Olimpo". He wrote this film with his long time collaborator Lara Fremder who has already worked with him for three films. This film gives vivid details about what exactly happened in one of the torture cells in Buenos Aires where innocent people were subjugated to the worst forms of physical suffering. The film presents some good views of Buenos Aires as one gets to see big modern buildings on one side and shanty towns on the other side. On the surface level everything appears to be normal and it is only the relatives of the tortured people who are shown as facing tough times. Although the torture cell is portrayed in a detailed manner, Marco Bechis ensures that it does not become graphic. This is the reason why the torture is not at all glorified but merely depicted as one of the dirty tricks employed by the military to control its political opponents. The film is gripping as it shows that everybody is involved including the religious priest. One also gets to see that there are no loyalties and nobody could be trusted. It is towards the end that one gets a better idea of the evil designs of Argentine military establishment who chose to carry innocent people on its planes in order to drop them alive in the water. Despite having been chosen for "Un Certain Regard" section at Cannes International Film Festival 1999 and a theatrical release in France, this autobiographical film by Marco Bechis deserves to be known better as it carries the important message that human rights are important in order to stop the persecution of innocent people.

My friend who is a psychiatrist working with torture survivors had experienced his first panic attack while watching this movie.

I did not. But I use the nick "garageolympo" since I saw the film.

The film explains what to expect from military regimes, blood, misery, lies and death.

I recommend who love this movie: Noche de los lápices, La (1986) (night of pencils) and may be "missing" and "Z" by Costa Gavras.

I live in a country in which people experience torture and pressure, So I liked this film to tell our anonymous story.

Bechis masters both camera and music to create an unbearable atmosphere of repression. Rarely have I seen such overpowering scenes deftly juxtaposed with banal shots of everyday city streets, effectively highlighting the urgent, yet hidden nature of political dissent. Not for the lighthearted, but for those willing to endure a gut-wrenching film for the sake of experiencing the tragic reality of what actually happened in Argentina, Chile and, more disturbingly, what probably is going on right now in places like Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, even as you read this. I definitely think films like this should be shown as a counterweight to the current sanitized version mainstream media feeds us, after being put through the hell of the concentration camp style 'garage olimpo', I doubt anyone would believe much in the hollow promises of militaristic presidents ever again.

Bechis is a good example of the best Costa Gavras that you could ever see. This very dark Argentinian period is photographed with a very clean and doubtless hand. Do not leave anything pending, Bechis's position is quite clear and naked. The reality given by certain scenes could remember you some of those films shot in "film veritè" technique. The only critic that I could say about the film is that I would have prefer to get into deeper details of certain characters of the reasons why they decided to be torturers and follow certain life. A film that will not be forgotten, much less commercial than "Missing" of Costa Gavras. A fist in the stomach. Rating: 7

I'm not sure this movie will be released where you're reading this comment,but if it is, please,go and see it. you have to. Be prepared though: It's very intense and disturbing, and when it is over you will feel dirty, soiled,shocked. This is a film about Argentina under the Military regime of the late '70s. This is a movie about the desaparecidos, Argentinian citizens kidnapped from their homes from the police and the military,tortured and imprisoned to extort information from them and then, finally, killed, most of the times thrown in the ocean from a plane while doped. Their crime? Trying to fight this regime. The film is almost perfect:great screenplay,great cast,great direction. Essential viewing. For more than one reason. Rating:9