The Paraguayan Film Academy has announced that filmmaker Juanjo Pereira will represent the country with his debut documentary feature Under the Flags, the Sun / Bajo las banderas, el sol. The film had its world premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year, in the Panorama section, where it won the FIPRESCI jury prize.
A fully archival journey through the 35 years of Alfredo Stroessner’s dictatorship, Under the Flags, the Sun uncovers long-forgotten propaganda films, newsreels, and broadcasts to expose the machinery of control that shaped Paraguay’s national identity and upheld the cult of Stroessner. This cinematic excavation reveals how media manipulated memory, fueled Cold War alliances, and sustained oppression—traces of a past whose influence still lingers today.
Pereira's film marks Paraguay’s ninth Oscar submission, though the country has yet to secure a nomination. Previous entries, such as The Heiresses / Las herederas (2018) by Marcelo Martinessi, have garnered international acclaim, highlighting Paraguay's growing presence in global cinema.
