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At first glance, ‘Behind the Cup’ seems like a typical advertorial. But understanding the context in which this film was shot adds a different perspective. In 1932, the Salvadoran govt killed at least 10,000 indigenous peasants and coffee workers after an attempted uprising against working conditions. Yet despite being filmed just 5 years after the atrocity, ‘Behind the Cup’ makes no mention of La Matanza (‘The Massacre’). Instead, it shows the American public happy workers, dancing and singing in Salvador’s coffee fields. This raises complex questions about the nature of complicity, propaganda, and American businesses’ involvement in supporting Central American oligarchies to maintain their often violent grip on power.
The Hills Brothers Coffee warehouse in San Francisco, 1940. Image credit: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.
