Contradictions

This film by award-winning cinematographer David Knaus is a very powerful story about the contradictory perceptions and roles of Americans in relation to the war in Nicaragua. It begins with the Congressional Hearings of the infamous Lt. Colonel “Ollie” North. It includes interviews with Comandante Tomas Borge, Nicaragua’s Minister for the Interior and comments from an ex-CIA agent and contra army commanders. Yet the core of “Contradictions” is the story of the ordinary citizens themselves. Nicaraguans wearied by the interference; U.S. citizens who feel they must take responsibility for the “War Crimes” of their administration. This is an important film and should be seen by anyone interested in Central America and recent American history and foreign policy. It won Best Foreign Film at the 1988 Cuban Film Festival.