Memory and Affective Discourses in Pepe Mujica, Lessons from the Flowerbed (Heidi Specogna, 2015) and El Pepe: A Supreme Life (Emir Kusturica, 2018)

Abstract

ABSTRACT José “Pepe” Mujica has become a charismatic figure not only in Latin American politics but across the world. This article analyzes the representation of memory and affect in two recent transnational documentaries that portray Mujica’s personal and political life: Pepe Mujica, Lessons from the Flowerbed (Heidi Specogna, 2015) and El Pepe: A Supreme Life (Emir Kusturica, 2018). It explores how the films represent Mujica’s memories and past, focusing specifically on his political militance as a member of the Movimiento de Liberación Nacional-Tupamaros (MLN-Tupamaros) during the 1960s and 1970s, and his experiences as political prisoner of the military dictatorship. Drawing from memory and screen studies, this work investigates the narrative devices and cinematic strategies used to create meaning out of the past. Finally, this article outlines how Mujica’s discourses are embedded in these films to establish an affective and ethical connection between past and present that elicits a powerful emotional response.