Eva Perón: The True Story, also known simply as Eva Perón, is a 1996 Argentine historical-biographical drama film directed by Juan Carlos Desanzo and starring Esther Goris and Víctor Laplace. It was written by José Pablo Feinmann, based on the life of Eva Perón. It was released on 24 October 1996, and won 3 "Cóndor" awards by the Argentine Film Critics Association in 1997, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress for Goris. The film was selected as the Argentine entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 69th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.

Synopsis

The narration does not follow a chronologically linear interpretation of the full life of Eva Perón. Instead, it focuses on the political disputes during the last year of Eva's life. These disputes involved women's suffrage in Argentina, failed coup attempts against the Peronist government, and Eva's failed bid for the vice presidency. The story concludes with Eva's death in 1952.

Cast

Reception

Lisa Alspector of the Chicago Reader favoured Goris' "riveting" portrayal of Evita over that of Madonna in the American film, Evita (1996), based on the musical. Alspectot described the Argentine film as "an effective character study with plenty of subtext." She also stated that "it's fascinating to watch Goris and Victor Laplace (as Juan Peron) demystify sensationalized figures." She praised the greater emphasis on politics rather than Eva's brief acting career and felt the title character engaged viewers so that "you're compelled to ponder her complex motivations throughout."

Awards and nominations

Argentinean Film Critics Association Awards Biarritz International Festival of Latin American Cinema