Primera sangre

The Falklands/Malvinas War has proved a powerful motif in contemporary Argentine film-making and Ramiro Longo's new documentary offers a unique take on the conflict and its pervasive legacy. While Argentina suffered 649 casualties during the War, subsequently over 350 ex-servicemen have committed suicide while attempting to come to terms with civilian life in the aftermath of the 1982 defeat. Longo's film is structured around an extended interview with War veteran Sergio Delgado who provides a moving testimony on the conflict and the ways in which it has subsequently haunted his life and aspirations. As much an insider's view of the conflict as a tale of the legacy of trauma, Not Really Ours offers a reflection on memory, fear and the shaping of a nation's psyche. Longo's deft editing juxtaposes telling footage alongside Delgado's story. The result is both a moving tapestry of war and its scars and a telling reflection on the ways in which official history is constructed.