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Private Network: Who Killed Manuel Buendia?
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Mexican journalist dies for exposing corruption; violence.
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Private Network: Who Killed Manuel Buendia?
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What's the Story?
In PRIVATE NETWORK: WHO KILLED MANUEL BUENDIA?, the famed Mexican investigative journalist of the title exposed American and Mexican support of cocaine trafficking and secret arms deals that gave weapons to Contra fighters trying to bring down a communist regime in 1980s Nicaragua. For this, the film suggests, Buendia was assassinated in 1984 when the CIA and Mexican government colluded to silence him. The film quotes from his written and television work and talks to numerous colleagues, admirers, and historians, as well as Mexican and American former security agents and government officials. The story also emphasizes the unhealthy control of the pre-internet press by the Mexican government, via its regulation of the newsprint industry. By plowing through years of political history, the film sets up the circumstances of Buendia's murder and its aftermath.
Is It Any Good?
Private Network: Who Killed Manuel Buendia? is only 100 minutes long, but feels far longer because it takes its time to get to the meat of the story. Relying on conventional, borderline dull documentary storytelling methods, the narrative bombards us with far too much background information for anyone but the most dedicated devotees to Mexican history and politics. A black-and-white clip shows recruits to Mexico's newly established domestic security service, modeled on the American FBI, bouncing through tumbling routines. Why? Just because someone discovered the amusing footage buried in an archive somewhere?
Many seemingly irrelevant facts and interviews are thrown at us, leaving the heart of the story deferred until nearly the end, when we learn that Buendia uncovered the connection between the American government, the Mexican government, drug cartels, arms dealing, and Contra fighters in Nicaragua. That information would be illuminating if it appeared earlier in the narrative, helping the viewer to understand what the story will ultimately amount to. This is a deep dive into Mexican politics that will not be for everyone.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the role that journalists play in keeping government honest and open. Why do you think doing that job can also threaten some politicians and governments?
Buendia said that he knew the work he dedicated himself to -- exposing corruption in the police and the government -- put his life in danger, which is why he carried a gun. Is there any cause you believe is worth dying for?
How do you think the workaday style of the documentary, with talking-head interviews and news clips, enhances or detracts from the goal of drawing in an audience?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: July 14, 2021
- Director: Manuel Alcala
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Documentary
- Run time: 100 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 19, 2023
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