In 1984, an unlikely meeting between Dr. Clyde Snow, a legendary American forensic scientist, and a group of Argentine students would ultimately change the course of forensic science and human rights forever.


El Equipo, the Emmy-nominated film directed by Bernardo Ruiz, unfolds as part procedural, part true crime thriller. Working with a trove of archival materials spanning four decades, the film chronicles the history-making collaboration between Dr. Clyde Snow, a legendary forensic scientist originally from Texas, and a group of Argentine university students, who were dubbed “unlikely forensic sleuths” by the New York Times. 

The group of “rag-a-tag” students would go on to form the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team, which revealed the truth to Argentine families about their disappeared loved ones, generating evidence that led to the conviction of hundreds of perpetrators in and out of government.

(This screening complements a November 18 event that marks the 40th anniversary of the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team by honoring the Grandmothers of Plaza Del Mayo, the activists whose vision led to numerous innovations in the application of forensic science to human rights investigations. The Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team's co-founder and first director, UN Special Rapporteur Morris Tidball-Binz, is currently in residence at UChicago as part of a collaboration between the Pozen Center and the Law School.)
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Connecting the dots between past and present, filmmaker Bernardo Ruiz chronicles this groundbreaking scientific team’s work up to present-day Mexico, where members of the team have faced threats, spying, and official attempts to discredit their work.

Co-sponsors
  • Doc Films