Journalistic dilemmas take center stage in the critical film session with an unexpected sociodrama

The Virgen del Carmen Cultural Center has once again hosted a film review. This time, the title selected by UNED Torrevieja was The Post , translated into Spanish as Los Archivos del Pentágono (2017) .

The democratic and deontological relevance of the fourth power, that of the press

As on other occasions, before a little over a hundred spectators, the coordinator of the Classroom, Jesucristo Riquelme, introduced the speaker, the journalist and cultural manager Susana Juan, and she took over to refer briefly to the direction of the film (the prestigious S. Spielberg), the main actors (Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks) and the importance of the dates: she stressed that the reality of 1971 is not the same as the current one, in the sense of the color of the glasses with which we look.

For nearly two hours, the pages of American newspapers that had to decide whether to publish classified information—protected by law, that is, secret and confidential—were displayed on the big screen. This information called into question the political decisions of both Nixon and his predecessors in the US presidency regarding the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War lasted from 1955 to 1975. This entertaining film revolves around the right and obligation to inform and the defense of that right to freedom of the press.

Through shades of gray and brown, Steven Spielberg portrays the moral ambiguity of a newspaper that, on the one hand, desires to serve its readers and honor its commitment to truth and freedom of the press, and on the other, is pressured by the conditions imposed on the banks by the initial public offering, which it has been forced to implement to ensure its survival. The Washington Post 's survival will be jeopardized if the courts rule against the Post 's owner's final decision.

The presence of women in a world of male leaders

The other major theme evident in the film is female empowerment. It is constantly present in Meryl Streep's character and role as the owner of the Washington, D.C. newspaper. Katherine Graham (Meryl Streep), along with Ben Bradley (Tom Hanks), delivers a masterclass on making difficult decisions, the collusion between the media and politics, and, above all, demonstrates courage and a willingness to face the consequences of their actions. Upon becoming a widow, Graham takes over her husband's leadership and ownership of the newspaper: she faces a male-dominated world that barely acknowledges her and belittles her in the paper's deliberations.

A film review of restrained acidity and intentional epic quality

This drama blends epic tones with touches of humor: a journalistic investigation and political corruption drama with elements of a gripping political thriller . It maintains a tense and intriguing pace, grounded in deeply controversial dialogues about journalistic ethics.

The time for sociodrama: a participatory and complicit audience

After the screening, it was time for the debate. The speaker asked for volunteers from the audience, who, along with an enthusiastic Riquelme fully immersed in his role, went up on stage to sit around a table and debate, like a newspaper editorial board, whether they should publish sensitive and fictional information about the Spanish royal family.

The decision was not unanimous; various arguments from the public—the rest of the audience in the room—caused four volunteers from among those present—a writer, a director, a lawyer, and a shareholder of a national newspaper—to reconsider their initial position. Finally, the head of press for the Royal Household, played by Riquelme—in an Ionesco-esque role-playing game: like five or six characters in search of an author—was the one who rebelled from his role in a sociodrama very well interpreted by Ramón, Juan, Caty, and Pilar, and the aforementioned Jesus Christ, who finally retracted his role so that the scales would tip in favor of fulfilling the obligation to inform.

The symbolism of the purple color of the granddaughter's ball

The moderator of the discussion thanked the participants and gave them a lilac-colored marker, as a symbol of those nuances that we should incorporate into written and oral presentations to gradually ensure that girls and boys unaware of the still-current concepts of sexism will become free adults who will continue to feel no connection to them.

In February, we'll be enjoying A Clockwork Orange : a cult classic.

The next film screening is scheduled for Tuesday, February 24th, and it is none other than Kubrick's acclaimed masterpiece , A Clockwork Orange . The film will be introduced and discussed by speakers Jesucristo Riquelme and Carlos R. Talamás. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Virgen del Carmen Cultural Center in Torrevieja, and admission is free until capacity is reached.

UNED Torrevieja Information: 603 87 55 63 — torrevieja@elx.uned.es —