Charles Tuggle, professor of journalism and mass communication at the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill, will present his documentary, “Las Abuelas De la Plaza de Mayo” (The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo) on Sept. 25 at 3 p.m. in the Student Center Theater. Tuggle’s presentation is part of Eastern’s popular University Hour series, and is sponsored by the Communications Department, Intercultural Center, OLAS (Organization of Latin American Students), School of Education and Professional Studies, and Eastern’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program.
Tuggle’s documentary film premiered on Jan. 17 on the UNC campus, and is now being viewed at universities across the country. The film tells the story of Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, an Argentinian human rights organization of grandmothers committed to finding their lost grandchildren, who they believe were stolen by their country’s government some 30 years ago.
At least 10,000 — some estimate as many as 30,000 — dissidents of the military dictatorship were kidnapped, tortured and killed during Argentina’s Dirty War from 1976-1983. Those kidnapped became known as “Los Desaparecidos” or “The Disappeared.” Some of the women were pregnant or new mothers when captured, and infants ended up in homes of people sympathetic to the regime. The babies’ names, birth dates and other identifiers were changed.
“This isn’t something that happened years ago and has no relevance now,” said Tuggle. “The grandmothers continue to find missing grandchildren. This is an ongoing injustice. Ordinary women who continue to find missing grandchildren are fighting this battle and serving as an example to all of us that we can make a difference.” Las Abuelas has located more than 100 missing grandchildren, many who had no knowledge of their true identities.
Tuggle’s daughters Brynne Tuggle Miller and Bethany Tuggle Parker, both graduates of UNC, served as coordinating producer and writer/editor, respectively, for the documentary. “Working on this documentary has been a labor of love,” said Miller. “But it’s also been such a rewarding experience to work on telling a story that my family is so passionate about and, in the process, complete a work that we are so proud of.” Dylan Field, a television director and producer at UNC, served as the film’s audio editor and videographer.
For more information, visit searchforidentitydocumentary.com or call Charles Tuggle at (919) 962-5694, or email him at catuggle@unc.edu.
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