In this new edition of "Tuesday of Chilean Series" we invite you to travel back in time towards the end of the 90s to delve into the lives of various Chilean migrants living abroad, observing their difficulties, longings and joys through the documentary series Los Patiperros, the television debut of director Cristián Leighton.
Los Patiperros set a precedent in Chilean television as it is an audiovisual proposal more linked to documentary than to television journalism. In the words of Leighton: "The reception of a wide audience, unexpected, for the directors and for the Channel itself (TVN), buried the persistent idea that audiences only dare to watch what has been proven, what has already been seen and the rigidity that the mass media impose on themselves. We came out with a small camera (considered "unprofessional" at the time) looking for a more incisive and unpredictable language."
The risky bet seen in the series traveled the world, managing to captivate audiences with a deep reflection on the construction of identity and belonging, the difficulties of Chilean migrants around the world, the precarization of work in Chile, political exile, as well as the yearnings and hopes of a people without borders.
In recent years, several Chilean films and series have reflected on the migratory changes in Chile, observing critically the public policies that exist to offer a decent life to the people who arrive in our country. Twenty years ago, Los Patiperros established a similar dialogue by analyzing the opposite migratory flow, revealing the lives of people who left Chile in search of a better life. A pioneering and risky work that demystifies the "American dream" and establishes close ties with contingent global topics today.
The collective work behind Los Patiperros marks a time when diverse Chilean talents gathered in a creative burst, an artistic power that surprised even the team itself. Cristián Leighton, David Albala, Iván Tzibulka, Gloria Pichard and Jorge González are just some of the creators who participated in the development of this piece.
Broadcasted by Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) in 1997, the series produced by Roos Films had five seasons, visiting Chileans based in various countries, including the United States, Norway, Sweden, France and Canada.
Cristián Leighton has been working for over 20 years on a large and diverse selection of cultural and heritage documentaries, all with a deep regard on the construction of identity and belonging. The themes of his works, having premiered at festivals such as FIDMARSEILLE, NYFF, FIDOCS and BAFICI, include interculturality, abuse and identity. Previously, on our TUESDAY OF CHILEAN SERIES program we have exhibited Santiago no es Chile and La sangre tira.
