WHAT LUCIA SAW/ LLEGARON DE NOCHE

Spain/ El Salvador, 2022, 104 minutes, Colour.

Juana Aosta, Karra Elehalde, Carmelo Gomez, Ben Temple, Angel Bonanni, Ernest oh Collado, Gerald B.Fillmore.

Directed by Imanol Uribe.

The Spanish title is more sombre, “they arrived by night” the English title certainly arresting.

In fact, Lucia is the housekeeper for the Jesuit community at the University in El Salvador. And, what she saw, or rather glimpsed, with the El Salvador military infiltrating the Jesuit compound – and then their killing six Jesuits and the female staff.

This film is based on an actual story, events in 1989. Celebrated Jesuit liberation theologian, John Sobrino, belonged to the community but was absent at the time of the massacre.

The screenplay is complex, starting with Lucia and her husband arriving in Miami to be interrogated by the American authorities, the FBI. There has been a difficult relationship with the US and the countries of Central America during the 1970s, 1980s, and an American anti-Communist stance. There has also been support for Latin American countries, especially in military training in the School of America. Which means then that the El Salvador authorities are also part of the interrogation.

Gradually, with flashbacks, the narrative builds up the story of Lucia and her husband and their little daughter, victims of guerrilla warfare and military clashes, the father a baker, losing his business, no food, walking the roads, getting lifts, and given refuge by the sympathetic Jesuits at the University, accommodation and continued work for Lucia.

There is a sympathetic portrait of the Jesuits, especially one of the lecturers, guitar playing, friendly, as well as interviews with the Director and his decisions to give hospitality to the family. There are scenes with the other members of the community, meals, prayer, one of the community rather old. Which means audience sympathy when, eventually, the military arrive and the scenes of the killings are shown.

Lucia and her husband are continually interrogated, hurried early in the morning to the offices, the officials not particularly sympathetic and, at one stage, an El Salvador “Dr” present at the interrogations but later revealed, as the audience expects, as in El Salvador Colonel.

The pressure on Lucia and her husband is that they say they saw the guerrillas killing the Jesuits. This is a moral challenge for the couple, simple people, suddenly in a foreign land, interrogations and translations. A rather buccaneering priest from Washington comes to Miami to help them, tracking them down, confronting the interrogators, with threats from Washington.

However, in the conversations, and the realisation that they are expected to lie, the couple decide that they will agree with the lie, that the guerrillas were to blame, in order to escape prison or worse.

At the end, information is given that Lucia and her husband were transferred to Spain and survived the interrogations.

The director is from El Salvador but lives in Spain and the writer is also from El Salvador.

The story should be seen in the context of other films about Central America at this time, Oliver stone’s Salvador, the story of the priests, nuns and laity killed in the 1970, Choices of the Heart, and, especially, John Duigan’s Romero.

1. Audience knowledge of events in El Salvador, the 1970s-1980s, military rule, guerrilla warfare, persecution of the Catholic Church, the status of Archbishop Romero, his death and the death of his associates? The context for this story?
2. The background of the director, in Spain, but from El Salvador, or the background of the writer? The perspective of the filmmakers, of the central characters, the totalitarian government, the role of the military, ruthlessness, elimination of opposition? And the alliance with the United States, the FBI and investigations?
3. The title and the focus on Lucy, the initial background, life with her husband, outside the capital, the military oppression, the uprising of the guerrillas, his being a Baker, building his own bakery, but lack of materials, food, the decision to move, on foot, the little daughter, helping move the truck from the mud, getting the lift, coming to the University?
4. Lucy, her work at the University, housekeeping? The money for the family? Her friendship with the priests and the staff? Her respect for them? The friendship with Father Nacchio, friendly, allowing them to stay, his playing the guitar? With the Rector, his immediately welcoming them, giving them accommodation?
5. The community, staff of the University, Jesuits, academics, the scene of the lecture, reflection and philosophy, the questions of the students? The Jesuit is trying to remain neutral in terms of the government and the guerrillas? Yet the preaching of social justice? Their personalities, age, community? The background of liberation theology and its status in Central America, the stands of the church? The official church and Pope John Paul II?
6. The structure of the film, Lucia and her husband and daughter, arriving in Miami, the protocols, the agents, the international representatives, the interrogations?
7. The interrogations throughout the film, the personnel interrogating, the Americans, the alleged Salvador Ian Dr but is really being military, the hostile attitudes? Lucia as a witness, her husband as witness? The accommodation, their being woken up, demands to come to interrogations, the severity? Their wanting the couple to witness that it was the guerrillas who killed the Jesuits? But Lucia knowing what she saw? Her integrity? The repetitions, the pressure on her husband?
8. The accumulation of the flashbacks, Lucia working, the other domestic members of the staff, the family coming to stay? Friendship with the Jesuits? The military raid, Lucia woken, her glimpse of the military?
9. The pressure of the interrogators, calling her and her husband liars? The pressure on them both to say that they were lying, to save themselves and their family, and for the Salvadoran government to save face, internationally?
10. The buccaneering priest arriving, demanding to see Lucia, the priest had been in Nicaragua, their being kept waiting, the surly attitudes of the officials? The priest following the cars, knowing the truth, the violent attack, his apology? His concern about the truth, his Washington connections?
11. Lucia and her husband finally caving in, their statements? The president and his press conference? The complacency of the military in attendance including the interrogator?
12. The final information, Lucia and the family in Spain, and never any official report arrests for those who killed the Jesuits?