For more than three decades, the name of Ricardo Barreda stood at the center of a story that shocked the country. Books, documentaries, television programs and countless journalistic covers rebuilt the quadruple femicide that occurred in La Plata in 1992 from the perspective of the dentist convicted of killing his wife, his two daughters, and his mother-in-law.
Now, a new production aims to change that viewpoint. On August 28 it will premiere on Prime Video Barreda, an original film directed by Daniela Goggi that proposes to recover the story of the four victims and restore to them the place that for years was eclipsed by the figure of the femicide.
A film that invites viewing the case from a different angle
Far from focusing on constructing Ricardo Barreda’s character, the production presents a different perspective. As Prime Video announced, the story aims to give voice to the victims and move away from prior versions of the case, placing the spotlight on their lives and on the impact of the violence that ended them.
The decision marks a shift compared with many approaches taken in recent decades, in which the name and the figure of the femicide occupied almost the entire public scene, while the stories of the murdered women were relegated to a secondary role.
Who were the four victims
The film recovers the story of Gladys McDonald, Ricardo Barreda’s wife; Cecilia Barreda and Adriana Barreda, the couple’s two daughters; and Elena Arreche, Gladys’s mother.
The four were murdered on November 15, 1992 in the family home in La Plata, a crime that shocked Argentine society and that, over the years, became one of the country’s most remembered criminal cases.
A cast of prominent performers to reconstruct the case
The film is led by Luis Machín, who portrays Ricardo Barreda. The cast also features Carla Peterson, in the role of Gladys McDonald; Mercedes Morán, as Elena Arreche; Maite Lanata, who plays Cecilia Barreda; and Margarita Páez, who brings Adriana Barreda to life. Completing the ensemble are Marcelo Subiotto, Paola Barrientos and Alberto Ajaka.
The direction is led by Daniela Goggi, creator of El rapto, while the screenplay was written by Juan Cavoti, Daniela Goggi, Josefina Licitra, Donna Sanguinetti, and Tamara Talesnik.
When Barreda premieres
Barreda will be available from August 28 exclusively on Prime Video, where it can be viewed in more than 240 countries and territories. The film is a co-production by About Entertainment, Infinity Hill and Amazon MGM Studios.
Beyond recreating one of Argentina’s most impactful police cases, the film arrives with the aim of sparking a conversation about how these stories have been told for decades and of reclaiming the place of those who, many times, were relegated in the narrative: the victims.
