How We Work
Memoria Abierta Oral Archive Documentary Heritage Topography of Memory

The Oral Archive produces testimonies referring to the memory of State terrorism in Argentina and the different actions taken by Human Rights organizations and civil society in the search for Truth and Justice.

The interviews, which contain both stories and memories of personal experiences, offer visions of history not always present in written documents and constitute a fundamental contribution to the documentation, study and interpretation of this historic process. The obtained testimonies form part of an audiovisual archive that is open to the public and can be consulted by researchers, students and historians interested in the study of that period.

How we work

We establish a first contact with the interviewee, with the objective of getting to know their particular experience.
We compose a questionnaire according to the particularities of the personal story of the interviewee.
Together with the interviewee, we choose a place to film the interview: their home, their place of work, or the office of Memoria Abierta.
We carry out the interview.
We catalogue each testimony and conserve a security copy, in accordance with international archival standards.

The testimonial archive currently consists of more than 700 interviews. The material is classified according to international norms and kept in a space with the temperature, humidity, and security adequate for their correct preservation and conservation.

The archive contains interviews realized in the cities of Buenos Aires, La Plata, Mar del Plata, Mercedes, and Lesdesma (Jujuy) and intends to continue incorporating testimonies from other parts of the country.