The Night of the Pencils (in Spanish: La noche de los Lápices), was a series of

kidnappings and forced disappearances, followed by the torture, rape, and murder
of 10 high-school students that started on the evening of September, 16 th 1976 and
continued into the next day, during Argentina's last civil-military dictatorship. The
event is one of the most infamous acts of repression committed by the last
Argentine military dictatorship, as most of the victims were under 18 years old. Four
of the victims survived; the others have never been found.

The film, based on the real events recorded in history as the "Night of the pencils"
(La noche de los lápices), tells the story of seven students who, after protesting for
lower bus fares for students in the city of La Plata, were abducted in September
1976, during Argentina's last dictatorship (1976 - 1983), and subsequently
disappeared. Only one student survived to tell what happened.

Directed by Héctor Olivera

Screenplay by Héctor Olivera, Daniel Kon
Based on La noche de los lápices by María Seoane & Héctor Ruiz Núñez
Produced by Fernando Ayala, Alejandro Sessa
Starring Alejo García Pintos, Vita Escardó, Pablo Novak, Adriana Salonia, Pablo Machado, Leonardo Sbaraglia
Cinematography Leonardo Rodríguez Solís
Edited by Miguel López
Music by José Luis Castiñeira de Dios
Production company Aries Cinematográfica Argentina
Distributed by Aries Cinematográfica Argentina
Release date 4th September 1986 (Argentina)
Running time 105 minutes
Country Argentina
Language Spanish

Activity 2: answer

1. What students do you remember?

2. When did this event happen?
3. How many students were kidnapped those two nights?
4. How many students survived?
5. How long is the film?
6. When was the film released?
7. Who were the main characters?
8. What part of the film did you impress the most?
9. Can you see the presence of Madre de Plaza de Mayo? Where? Who?
10. Did you know the film? Did you learn anything you didn´t know?