On the Other Side

In 2004, the mother of filmmaker Iván Guarnizo was kidnapped by the Colombian guerrilla movement FARC. It was 20 months before she was released. She died 6 years later, shortly after the start of negotiations between the FARC and the Colombian government that led to a peace accord in 2016.

Now that the bloody conflict is over after more than 50 years, Iván and his brother finally see an opportunity to confront this chapter of their family history. They weren’t open to hear the stories their mother told about her time in the jungle when she was still alive, but now they start reading the detailed journal she kept during her captivity. They decide to follow the path back to the place where she was kidnapped and try to get in contact with her guards. This is how they eventually meet up with Güérima, whom their mother mentioned frequently—and with fondness—in her journal.

Although often emotionally painful, On the Other Side is above all a loving account of a search for mutual understanding. Iván wonders whether he is capable of forgiveness, as his mother was. The meeting with Güérima is a shocking and moving turning point.