ARCHITECT of PEACE
The documentary Architect of Peace presents the legacy of Dr Carlos Saavedra Lamas, an illustrious Argentine jurist, statesman, academic and foreign minister, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1936. Driven by high ideals of peace and justice, a tireless worker and astute politician, Dr Saavedra Lamas was the driving force behind the Anti-War Treaty of 1933 and the main negotiator of the Chaco peace that ended the last South American war between Paraguay and Bolivia in 1935. Saavedra Lamas' legacy provides important lessons for the present in terms of labour rights, education, the selection of leaders, as well as the peaceful resolution of conflicts, the use of diplomacy, support for international organizations and the rejection of war in international relations. His figure has been overshadowed for many years, essentially for ideological reasons, but his legacy remains current, valid and necessary.
Filmed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in July and August 2023, the documentary follows Gian Luca Gardini's academic research, delving into the archives of the National Library, the General Archive of Argentina, the Foreign Ministry Archive and other repositories. The intriguing contribution is provided by the interviewees that Gian Luca invites to speak with total freedom, who paint a multi-faceted and comprehensive portrait of Carlos Saavedra Lamas and explain in great detail the validity of his ideals of peace.