UNDER THE FLAGS, THE SUN
by Juanjo Pereira
SYNOPSIS
Through rare and long-forgotten footage, this documentary uncovers the hidden machinery of Alfredo Stroessner’s dictatorship in Paraguay—one of history’s longest-running regimes. From propaganda to international broadcasts, the film exposes how media shaped power, controlled memory, and built a legacy that still lingers today.
DETAILS
90 mins
2025
Paraguay, Argentina, USA, France, Germany
Guarani, Spanish, German, French, English, Portuguese
CREDITS
Director: Juanjo Pereira
Assistant Director: Sofía Lena Monardo
Cinematography: Francisco Bouzas
Editing: Manuel Embalse
Music: Julián Galay, Andrés Montero Bustamante
Sound Design: Julián Galay
Produced by Cine Mío, MaravillaCine, Sabaté Films, Juanjo Pereira
Executive Producers Ivana Urizar, Gabriela Sabaté, Paula Zyngierman, Leandro Listorti, Juanjo Pereira, James Costa, Trevor Burgess, Hernán Mazzeo, Daniela Martinez Nannini, Sofía Lena Monardo
BIOGRAPHY
DIRECTOR - JUANJO PEREIRA
Juanjo Pereira is a filmmaker, researcher and producer whose work highlights interdisciplinary research through the creation of essay films and video installations. He is dedicated to researching the Paraguayan film archive, and his projects also use the dérive to examine modern infrastructures and everyday built landscapes. He serves as the artistic director and co-founder of the Asunción International Contemporary Film Festival. He has participated and won awards at festivals and markets such as: Hot Docs Forum, IDFA Bertha Fund, ARCHÉ, among others.
SELECT FESTIVALS
BERLINALE 2025 - PANORAMA FIPRESCI AWARD〡THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL 2025 - HUMAN VALUES AWARD〡BAFICI 2025 - INTERNATIONAL GRAND PRIZE 〡SHEFFIELD DOCFEST 2025〡IT'S ALL TRUE 2025
PRESS
"Undoubtedly highly effective in relaying to the average viewer what exactly happened in Paraguay from the 850s onwards"
— Cineuropa
"A striking reminder of how powerful media can be, both as an instrument of control and a means of resistance"
"A rare documentary, leaving the audience to piece together the truth. The film's commitment to archival authenticity is striking"
— Overly Honest Reviews
"Asks you to stay engaged, because while the country is no longer a dictatorship, Paraguay has still been governed almost continuously by the same party as Stroessner to this day"
— Universal Cinema
"Juanjo Pereira contributed a beautiful example of a history not only silenced, but now often reviewed by alleged democratic leaders who only hide, via freedom, their autocratic tendencies"
— C7nema
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