Patria

This series is powerful and places value on showing both the strengths and weaknesses of its characters, with an emphasis on empathy. Patria proves that perspective is a powerful thing. People can experience an event in completely different ways, fundamentally changing that experience and its impact on their lives. That lesson is a big part of what makes Patria so compelling. Rather than brush the Basque conflict in broad strokes, the series paints a detailed picture through the lives of two once-close families. Both have suffered greatly as a result, but in completely opposite ways. For Bittori, the actions of ETA led to the heartwrenching loss of the person most important to her and forced her into exile without any sense of understanding or justice. On the other side of the coin, Miren was forced to watch one son imprisoned and subjected to torturous treatment due to his involvement with ETA. Adding to the tragedy is the revelation that Miren's son might have had a role in Txato's murder. So while one side is desperate to reach back into the past for answers and closure, the other is just as desperate to leave the past buried.

Patria constantly hops back and forth between its present (2011) and past (1990). These time shifts can sometimes be a little jarring and difficult to keep track of, especially when you're trying to figure out just how all the story pieces are meant to come together. Certain scenes play out with little relevance at the time only to become key down the road when the same scene plays out from a different character's point of view. Over time, through the eyes of each character, viewers gain a better and broader understanding of events. The audience gains a unique insight and sympathy that can only come from seeing the story from every angle.