5: Pia Janning and Til Frohlich, “La Violencia: The Untold Truths of Guatemala” (2014)

Still from La Violencia showing a foggy rural scene with a quote reading, “It was a war between men fought on the bodies of women,” attributed to UN rapporteur Radika Coomaraswamy. — Still from “La Violencia” (2014), Source: Culture Unplugged

This primary source is a documentary film released in 2014 that explores the lasting effects of violence during and after the Guatemalan Civil War. La Violencia: The Untold Truths of Guatemala, directed by Pia Janning and Til Frohlich, focuses on the testimonies of Indigenous Maya women and activists who share their personal experiences of survival, loss, and resistance. The film was created decades after the height of the violence, during a period when survivors and human rights organizations were continuing to seek justice and public recognition for crimes committed during the war. Through interviews, historical footage, and personal storytelling, the documentary examines the genocide carried out against Indigenous Maya communities and highlights the long-term emotional, cultural, and social impacts of military violence. The film was produced to raise awareness among international audiences about the experiences of survivors and to challenge the silence that surrounded many of the atrocities committed during the conflict.

The perspective of this source reflects the viewpoints of Indigenous survivors and activists who lived through the violence and continue to advocate for justice and accountability. Unlike government documents or official reports, the documentary centers on personal testimonies and emphasizes the voices of Maya women, who were often excluded from political decision-making and public narratives. Their stories reveal how violence did not end with the war but continued to affect communities through trauma, displacement, and ongoing struggles for recognition. The source is historically significant because it shows how survivors have worked to preserve memory and demand justice in the years following the conflict. It also demonstrates how visual storytelling can bring attention to human rights violations and help document experiences that were previously ignored or denied. This source connects to my project by showing the long-term effects of government violence on Indigenous communities and highlighting how survivor testimonies continue to challenge silence and bring attention to the injustices committed during what is now widely referred to as the Guatemalan Silent Holocaust.

A Maya survivor during the documentary explains how the violence was Ríos Montt's fault. — Still from “La Violencia” (2014), Source: Culture Unplugged

Source:

Janning, Pia, and Frohlich, Til, dirs. 2014. La Violencia: The Untold Truths of Guatemala. Ireland/Guatemala: Bold Puppy Productions. https://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/52884/la-violencia-the-untold-truths-of-guatemala