Armed to the Teeth

Alberto Arnaut Estrada's 2018 Mexican documentary is about two students killed at a university gate in 2010. Immediately afterwards the army announced that both were armed gang members; their families set out to prove otherwise. The subject is how an official account is constructed. What was given in the press statement spread quickly and took years to correct; the documentary sets forensic records, camera footage and testimony side by side to show how the process worked. Estrada followed the families over a long period and builds the narrative from their view. The tone is measured and no anger is displayed; the strength lies in the arrangement of evidence. Who it's for: those interested in the drug war in Mexico and documentaries about rights violations. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a neutral presentation; the film stands with the families and does not hide it.