Under the Flags, the Sun

Alfredo Stroessner, who came to power in a coup in 1954, ruled Paraguay with an iron fist with his Colorado Party until 1989. Using only archival material, Under the Flags, the Sun illustrates the propaganda machine surrounding the longest-serving dictator in South American history.

The media-driven cult of personality is familiar from other dictatorships, with songs lavishing praise on Stroessner. A soundtrack of often ominous, rumbling sounds provides subtle commentary on the propagated image of the Paraguayan people as one big harmonious family.

The ruthless repression of citizens who fought for social justice is largely absent from the official narrative. A parallel montage juxtaposes rare footage of the suppression of a demonstration with adoration for the “noble” leader, who offered a warm welcome in Paraguay to former Nazi leaders such as Josef Mengele. The chronicle ends with the coup that ultimately brought Stroessner down, followed by the staggering death toll of his regime.