In 1985, prosecutor Julio César Strassera concluded his closing statement in the trial of nine Argentine junta leaders, including dictator Jorge Rafael Videla, with the words nunca más (‘never again’). They stood trial for the unlawful detention, torture and murder of an estimated 30,000 Argentinians between 1976 and 1983, the period of the military dictatorship. The court case is unique because for the first time in history a military junta was put on trial after the restoration of a democracy.

With archival footage, The Trial provides a shocking insight into what Strassera describes as “a sort of descent into the sinister spheres of the human soul.” The footage was selected from the 530 hours of recordings made by Argentine television, hardly any of which was broadcast at the time. As a viewer you are present in the courtroom, listening to witnesses filmed from behind who paint a horrifying picture of ruthless state terror.

In addition to documenting the historic court case, The Trial illustrates the boundlessness of human perversity and sadism when legitimized by ideology.