Granito: How to Nail a Dictator

Pamela Yates's homespun documentary is a sort of follow-up to her 1983 film When the Mountains Tremble, which she shot during the long civil war in Guatemala, when military ruler Gen. Efrain Rios Montt conducted a brutal campaign against his opponents that included massacres of civilian Mayan villagers. Yates was able to interview regime leaders, army officers, and rebel commanders, and even record operations from both government and guerrilla perspectives. Now, with efforts finally underway to bring the surviving perpetrators to justice—both in Guatemala and before international tribunals—Yates is asked to investigate whether her earlier footage might provide evidence. Granito follows the director's search through canisters of film, during which she not only provides historical background but also reflects on her youthful experience as a filmmaker. Along the way, she interweaves commentary from lawyers trying to indict the now elderly ex-officials, conversations with former resistance fighters (some of whom she'd dealt with three decades ago), and footage of a dedicated human-rights worker exhuming remains from mass graves. Yates also adds excerpts from the presentation of the case before a Spanish judge who might bring charges if Guatemalan courts fail to act. While the effort to try Rios Montt remains unresolved, the film—airing on PBS's acclaimed POV series—presents an often powerful reminder of this savage episode in the history of the Americas. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)