Remembering, repeating and working-through: the trauma of dictatorship in Tony Manero and I'm still here

Abstract

This article offers a comparative analysis of Tony Manero (2008), directed by Pablo Larraín, and I’m Still Here (2024), directed by Walter Salles, through the lens of trauma studies. It argues that the two films embody distinct approaches to representing the traumatic legacies of Latin American military dictatorships. The former aligns with acting out, dramatizing repetition and social alienation through an allegorical aesthetic; the latter engages in working through, offering a communicative and cathartic memory experience via melodramatic narrative. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Freud and LaCapra, the article explores how these concepts inform the films’ formal, narrative, and film genre elements. It concludes that, despite their contrasting styles and structures, the films are complementary in addressing the multifaceted nature of traumatic memory, each activating the audience through distinct affective strategies.