Die Frau des Reporters

In the spring of 1980, Esther Jochmann, a young Austrian woman, flies to San Salvador. Her husband, a journalist, has been killed. She has to identify his corpse so that the authorities will allow it to be transferred to Europe. She learns that Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was also a victim of an assassination, had granted a taped interview to her husband. Padre Manuel hands the tape over to her. Esther accompanies the Padre and John, an American reporter, who are trying to find the murderers.

Directed by Heide Pils, Die Frau des Reporters leans on a strong ensemble — Malena Doria, Miguel Ehrenberg, Marthe Keller — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about history titles of 1986.