The hands of Che Guevara

Buried under a landing strip in Bolivia, the body of Che Guevara was discovered in 1997. With its discovery, the last mystery about Guevara’s life and death seemed resolved. Until it became apparent his hands were missing…

The documentary The hands of Che Guevara is a search for the severed and missing hands of the Latin-American revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara. The search leads to a number of remarkable people; men and women who were prepared to risk life and limb for two dead hands. Through their testimonies a story unfolds, a tale that is so bizarre and secret that it has been banished to the shadows of history.

“The truth lies in the subjective elements it is built on”
(Quote attributed to Che Guevara)

The documentary The Hands of Che Guevara is a linear tale, built on the accounts of several ‘first persons’. All those involved tell their part, each of them from their own point of view, featuring themselves as the main protagonist. Their stories are embellished, grotesque and beautiful. They do contain undeniable elements of truth however. By stringing together the small, subjective stories slowly the larger, ‘objective’ history becomes visible. Like a mosaic from which one slowly distances oneself.