Coming to HBO and HBO Max tomorrow, Wednesday, December 16:
THE ART OF POLITICAL MURDER
Director:
Paul Taylor
World Premiere:
Tribeca 2020 (unscreened)
Select Festivals:
Double Exposure
About:
An investigation into the murder of Guatemalan human rights advocate Bishop Juan Gerardi.
During Guatemala’s long civil war, the indigenous Mayan population was subject to a campaign of genocide, and civilians suffered atrocities and murder. In the aftermath of the conflict, Roman Catholic Bishop Juan Gerardi, a longtime supporter of the Mayan people and an outspoken human rights activist, prepared a report on the role of the Guatemalan military in civilian deaths during the war. Two days after the report’s publication, Gerardi was found beaten to death at the Church of San Sebastián. Paul Taylor’s film explores his assassination, the role the government played in its attempted cover-up, and the quest for justice, not only for Gerardi, but for those he sought to defend. While the project would have benefited from providing more historical background for the uninitiated, and should have dispensed with its overly sensationalistic re-enactments, it still makes for compelling viewing.
