NEW FILM BY COSTA-GAVRAS EXAMINES THE CHILEAN COUP

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000402830036-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 28, 2012
• Sequence Number: 36
• Publication Date: February 7, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/29: CIA-RDP90-00965R000402830036-9
IV
APP E D
ARTICLE
ON PAGE
NEW YORK TIES
7 FEBRUARY 1.982
But it isn't a documentary, and in 'E
the course of an interview hit. Costa-; ,Am
Gavras didn't pretend that it is. ` was
"Don't ask a film director to be a polit-bein,
j ' ; ical technician," he said after a show. to
w
e .L' la ing here. "Either you give two points
of view, or. you say, `Here's what I
,, think. I draw my own.conclusion ' " len ,
Costa-uavras? ; That is the problem. The film gives; mg .
only one point of view, essentially Ed tthing
.
j Horman's,?but its claim to present a ha
.riper '?e; basic historical truth puts it in a differ- clu
U lions and political thrillers. It is a tech.
ear. ?Couty: ; nique wliicir raises serious ethical, B
questions:rFr e_ _.:
Mr. Costa-Gavras says he collabo
Ho
By FLORA LEWIS : rated closely with the author, ol'?the
' book and spent a good deal 'oi~_time
with the Norman family "so.I could
PAizts- reproduce them." But he made no ef-
act: A young American ire,- ~ fort to speak with the government offi-
lance writer named Charles. dais .he portrays nor to consult the
Horman was killed during.,; -records, particularly of the Senate In-
the 1973 coup that brought;; telligence Committee headed by Sena-
the Pinochet regime to power. tor Frank Church, Democrat of Idaho
,
in Chile. -= -: which spade extensive investigations Nonetheless.. Allende was elected. 1
Fact: His father, a New York indu . and issued a report on "Covert Action After that, according to the Church
trial designer, was told that his. 'sc; in Chile: 1983-1973 Committee and statements byNathan.
was missing and went to Chile inwhat-. "The director can't do everything." iel Davis, who was Ambassador in
became a desperate search to= find: he said. "Hauser did the research and Santiago from 1971 until shortly afte
Charles. Edmund C. Horman, the-far- saw all those people, - and . I went the 1973 coup, the United States clan
ther, . gradually became convinced through all his notes." . .. neled funds to political parties, press,
that the American Embassy in-San, The difficulty is that the role of the and radio stations in Chile but stayed-
tiago not only knew about the murdei. United States in Chile remains an ex- away from violent right wingers and
from the start but was Intent on con:; tremely controversial, emotional sub- militaryplots-
cealing it because it shared reSPOd~--' ject. A good deal has been made public
? bility. He later sued 11 high United, and it documents some nasty episodes, The thesis, Mr. Davis wrote in the
States officials for $4 million, but iftm When Salvador Allende's regime was Foreign Service Journal ,in 1978, was ;
a year and a half the case -was. dis-, overturned by Gen. Augusto Pinochet that the Allende Government was put-
missed for lack of evidence..'. in a vast, murderous rampage, many ting such intense pressure on thet oppo.
Fact: A lawyer : named Thomas. people, particularly French Socialists, sition's capacity to survive that it
Hauser was drawn into, the Hormat4 felt it showed the United States would might be unable to contest the next
family's crusade and wrote a. book. go to any length to prevent the sur- ? election scheduled for 1976. The secret
about the incident called "The Execur- vival of another leftist government be- . subsidies, he said, were to enable op-
tion of Charles Homan: An American sides Cuba in the' Western Henri- ` position parties and distributors of in-
Sacrifice," published in1979. .' ' ~ - sphere. The French left indentifted formation to compete with Govern-
Fact: Costa-Gavras, the Paris? their own aims with Allende. The coup. spent-supported parties and press. :
based Greek ..director who made became a kind of litmus test for the
powerful political films about cases In. Paris intelligentsia, a sequel to the "We still have not'
as a society.`
Greece, Czechoslovakia and Uruguayi , Vietnam war. I thought through the practical and ethi=(
accepted an offer from. Universal b .. i cal implications of covert attion,' Mr
make a movie from the Hauser book. Newspaper reports, especially those. Davis said: He pointed out,- and the
It is called "Missing," stars, Jack : of Seymour M. Hersh in The New York record confirms, that he successfully
Lemmon and Sissy Spacek and,. it Times, and lengthy records 'of the opposed C.I.A. suggestions to support
opens in New York an Friday at: tie Church Committee in 1975 and 19781 strikes and demonstrations to under
Beekman. theater. ' It is tautly well;: showed that the United States had in,-; mineAllende.
made and cinematically convincing. deed been involved in Chilean politics...
Fiction: "This film- is based on a, 'The most damaging evidence related However, Richard Helms and Hal
true story. The Incidents and facts are,j to C.I.A. activity attempting to pre- Hendrix, an I.T.T. official, were con-;
been chant ed to protect the innocent have. tivent me,Ait ende's election in 1970. At tha:. was revealed. an inamous : bided perjury for their testimony on
an8 P before a a 1 19773 Senate committee- on
" i `
"
"
and also to protect the film.
operation called .
Track ? II
linked what happened in 1974. And th ere was
? : ' American agents with violent right the extrao
rY Nvton order to
m
t
This
essage is shown a
.the startd.. wing g~ps? . _. ,.
? the film. In many cases ?real:e %was
? are used, are evoiced;xsa i I
tenon mter3 partrayed. These devIm I
and [he tiixa tors-artare a mbired.?to
--: Helms not to inform Ambassador
Korry and two top cabinet members of
that plot. Credibility became a serious
issue in diseatangliag the Chilestory.
-stag; helned plan the ?mim is.C~tile rn137'>~77VTTZ7Y '
to
to
frm
tar3
and tile ammary ox a ease em
Melvin Laird). It was an extraordi_;
narymeeting.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/29: CIA-RDP90-00965R000402830036-9