It’s difficult to assign the right word to describe the aftermath of a brutal, long conflict such as El Salvador’s civil war (1980-1992), which claimed 75,000 lives. It is hard to say if El Salvador is recovering—implying that wounds incurred during the war are, in fact, healing—or if it is merely moving on, meaning that yesterday’s battles are morphing into fresh ones for the future. Return to El Salvador chronicles the country’s post-war years and its halting, ongoing struggle for stability. Directed by Jamie Moffett and narrated by Martin Sheen, the film’s narrative is dense but pointed, especially for Canadians, who may feel a little too close for comfort to the current oppression and economic exploitation faced by the film’s subject country.
This article appears in Oct 21-27, 2010.