Santiago Mitre’s ‘Argentina, 1985’ won the Golden Globe for Best Non-English Language Motion Picture last night at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s awards ceremony in Los Angeles. The film, starring Ricardo Darin and Peter Lanzani as the prosecution team behind Argentina’s Trial of the Juntas, is the country’s first Golden Globe winner.  

“I’d like to share this with all the people who since the dictatorship have been fighting to build a better democracy in Argentina, and they keep on fighting,” said Mitre. “Democracy is something we need to keep fighting for.” 

He thanked the film’s producers, including Axel Kuschevatzky and Cindy Teperman from Infinity Hill, Agustina Llambí Campbell from La Union de los Ríos, Chino Darin from Kenya Films, and Marvel exec Victoria Alonso, also a co-producer. Mitre also thanked the film’s star Ricardo Darin, “one of the greatest actors in the world”, before giving him the microphone as the music cue started.

“Thank you so much, I’m very proud of this,” said Darin, who played real-life prosecutor Julio Strassera. He then added in Spanish: “And for the people in Argentina, after the World Cup win, this is an immense joy. I love you.”

President Alberto Fernández celebrated the historic win, tweeting: “The Golden Globe for Argentina, 1985 is a new and immense joy. Congratulations to the entire team that made it with talent, work and commitment to our democracy.” 

An Amazon Studios-backed co-production, Argentina, 1985 focuses on the efforts of Strassera’s young team of legal aids to try the leaders of the military dictatorship that ruled the country between 1976 and 1983 for massive kidnapping, torture and homicide. The trial was the first time in history that a civilian court had brought the leaders of a military dictatorship to justice. 

Deputy prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo –played in the film by Lanzani– was also present at the ceremony and walked the red carpet together with the directors, producers and cast.

Mitre’s film, which topped the box office in Argentina, is now heading for the Oscars, as it is also on the 15-film shortlist for a nomination in the Best International Film category of the Academy Awards, alongside fellow Golden Globes nominees, RRR (India), All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany), Decision to Leave (South Korea), and Close (Belgium).

Argentina, 1985 is available to stream on Amazon Prime.