Class Year
2016
Document Type
Student Research Paper
Date of Creation
Spring 2016
Department 1
Latin American Studies
Abstract
The escape of thousands of war criminals to Argentina and throughout South America in the aftermath of World War II is a historical subject that has been clouded with mystery and conspiracy. Lucía Puenzo's film, The German Doctor, utilizes this historical enigma as a backdrop for historical fiction by imagining a family's encounter with Josef Mengele, the notorious SS doctor from Auschwitz who escaped to South America in 1949 under a false identity. While Puenzo sought to tell a story within a historical context, the film still has important historical commentaries. Ultimately, The German Doctor demonstrates the intersections of history, historical fiction, and historical myth as it perpetuates false conceptions and conspiracies and creates a new field of pseudo-history despite its historical fiction label.
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Cody, Nathan W., "History, Historical Fiction, and Historical Myth: 'The German Doctor' by Lucía Puenzo" (2016). Student Publications. 438.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/438
Included in
European History Commons, Film and Media Studies Commons, Latin American Languages and Societies Commons, Latin American Studies Commons, Military History Commons
Comments
Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies Senior Capstone