March 10, 2018

‘¡Las Sandinistas!’: How Hundreds of Source Materials Captured a Revolution

Jenny Murray’s documentary celebrates the women who fought for change, and upon receiving it, changed a country.

If modern politics are any indication, a political uprising daring to challenge those in power is necessary for ensuring a better tomorrow. A nation’s leaders are only of worth if they have their citizens’ best interests at heart, and in the case of Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza—the 73rd and 76th President of the Central American country where extreme poverty and violence ran rampant—a terrible leader can never be ousted quickly enough.

Fed up and fearing for their future, the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) took to ending Somoza’s reign by any means necessary (their motto was “freedom or death”), and their violent force was justified: when the opportunity arose, the FSLN was not against the taking of political hostages to ensure the release of their members (accompanied by a tidy ransom). Better, democratic living conditions were vital and, as became quickly apparent, impossible to obtain if Somoza remained in power.

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Source: NoFilmSchool