A Price We Have to Pay
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| A Price We Have to Pay | |
|---|---|
| Spanish | Un precio que tenemos que pagar |
| Directed by | Ricardo Preve |
| Written by | Ricardo Preve |
| Story by | Ricardo Preve |
| Starring | Clara Preve Durrieu Ricardo Preve Lê Thi Vân |
Production companies | Ricardo Preve Films LLC Esto del Cine SRL |
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Countries | Argentina United States |
| Languages | English Spanish Vietnamese |
A Price We Have to Pay (in Spanish: Un precio que tenemos que pagar) is an upcoming documentary film written and directed by Ricardo Preve.[1] An Argentine-American co-production, the film explores the disappearance of Argentine journalist Ignacio Ezcurra in Saigon, South Vietnam, in May 1968, and presents evidence regarding those potentially responsible for his death.[2][3]
The documentary features participation from Ezcurra's family, as well as journalists and historians, using extensive archival material.[4] It presents the findings of a journalistic investigation conducted across the United States, Vietnam, and Argentina.[5]
The film focuses on the investigation into Ezcurra's disappearance. The central narrative arc follows the search for a photograph of Ezcurra's remains, previously known only through a low-quality copy, and the latest breakthroughs in the investigation of his death. While the official version claimed Ezcurra was killed by communist guerrillas (Viet Cong), the documentary finds no evidence to support this. Instead, it gathers information suggesting that Ezcurra was killed on May 8, 1968, by the South Vietnamese Police. The motive was allegedly his investigation into the deaths of four colleagues who had died three days prior in the same location where he disappeared.
The production discovered an unpublished 1968 Argentine government report on the journalist's disappearance. The report contained a photograph of Ezcurra's remains, leading the team to identify the photographer: Bunyo Ishikawa from Japan. Ishikawa, who is still alive, shared three additional photos of the remains with the production, which allowed the investigators to pinpoint the exact alleyway in Chợ Lớn (Saigon's Chinatown) where he was killed. The team also collected testimonies from elderly local residents who witnessed Ezcurra's body.
Furthermore, a 2007 audio interview with Ezcurra's mother reveals a meeting she held at a church in Buenos Aires with a man who claimed the CIA was responsible for the murder. This and other testimonies challenge the theory that the Viet Cong were responsible. The film concludes with a tribute to Ezcurra: the film crew places a wreath of light blue and white flowers (the colors of the Argentine flag) into the Mekong River.
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