To guide you in the process of discovering new films and authors that are part of our New Chilean Film Catalogue that CinemaChile publishes every year, we present 10 unmissable first features, 5 documentaries and 5 fictions features:
- The ship of oblivion by Nicol Ruiz (Alen Cine)
“The ship of oblivion” mixes elements of science fiction and romance, featuring elderly LGBTQ+ characters who explore their sexuality with the mysterious landscape of southern Chile as a backdrop. Motivated by exploring what freedom means in film, and how to find possibilities of expression amidst a violent society, Ruiz has created a film that vibrates with authenticity and clarity. Recognized with several Work in Progress awards in competitions that include Fem Revolution, Femcine and Biobío Lab, this promising opera prima is helmed by a talented group of women including producer Catalina Fontecilla (Primeras).
- Three of Us by Constanza Tejo (Molotov Cinema)
With an intimate camera approach, Constanza Tejo explores side "B" of maternity, trying to break with the social impositions of what a mother is supposed to be. The autobiographical documentary captures her pregnancy process, from the moment she found out she was having a baby with her ex-partner, to the morning-sickness, the stretch marks and the fear of losing self-hood. A deep reflection on the expectations that our society places on women, the project was winner of the WIP Meeting at FIDBA and the Biobío Cine Festival Business Table and is produced by Eduardo Villalobos Matar a un hombre, Sentados frente al fuego).
- Zoila by Gabriela Pena (Grieta Cine)
Zoila is a documentary that tries to dismantle the class, race and gender conflicts that coexist within Chilean families, tensions that cross memory and shape images. While reviewing photographs and files from her childhood split between Chile and Barcelona, Pena discovers that Zoila (her Mapuche nanny) was filmed only behind doors, erased from her daily life. In the film the two women travel together to reunite with Chile, discovering along the way the real power of their shared bond. Selected in the WIP of BAFICI, FIDBA and SANFIC, among many others, this intimate story -currently in the last phase of post-production- is produced by Picho García de Grieta Cine, an emerging production company based in Valparaíso.
- 130 Children by Aina Aparici (Mimbre producciones )
Aina Aparici is passionate about films that inspire and help audiences overcome stereotypes, fears and prejudice, something that is evident in every minute of 130 Children, a documentary that follows a Costa Rican couple who have adopted 130 children in the last 40 years. The doc follows the process of integrating a new child into this home, one that continues to multiply despite the parents' old age. Produced by Daniela Camino (The Journey of Monalisa) of the production company Mimbre Producciones (Nona if they soak me, I´ll burn them), this empathetic story about the crisis of abandoned children stands out for its magnificent characters, full of heart and courage.
- We forget by Belen Giadach (Equeco)
In “We Forget” Giadach explores the sensations that caused her to return to Chuquicamata, a mining city in northern Chile. Once she returned to the place she was born 8 years after her initial departure, she saw everything abandoned, buried by false hills and concrete. By understanding the power of her memories, she began to create this experimental fiction film with elements of the essay genre, starring Pablo Schwarz (Neruda; Prófugos), as a man who walks the forgotten city, seeking to release the memories trapped in an old movie theater. Produced by Pablo Calisto de Equeco (La mentirita blanca) and edited by Mayra Morán (Petit Frere), Nos Olvidamos is sure to open the way for a young Chilean cinema, willing to take risks.
- Those Girls by Alexandra Hyland (Maltrato Films)
“Those Girls”, starring actress Alicia Rodríguez, known for her role in Joven y Alocada, is a melancholic feminist take on the friendship between two women. A pop portrait that highlights the moments of comedy that are mixed in between the awkwardness and pain of life, the film follows the search of these two friends as they raise money for a clandestine abortion. Hyland already has people talking about her bold and original new voice, named one of the “10 chilean directors to watch” by Variety, and has participated in Sanfic Lab and Berlinale Talents, receiving support from the TFI Latin American Fund. Produced by Sebastián González (The Devil is Magnificent), the film is currently in post-production and will be sure capture audiences once it is released.
- Night Shot by Carolina Moscoso (El Espino Films)
Carolina Moscoso debuts with a brave, multi-layered film, exploring the wounds left by abuse, the revictimization of court proceedings, and how female friendship helps heal patriarchal trauma. In video-diary format, the documentary takes a highly intimate experience to reflect on the prevailing silence in our sexist society. It recently premiered internationally at the prestigious FIDMarseille, it is produced by Macarena Aguiló (The Chilean Building).
- Karnawal by Juan Pablo Felix (Picardía)
Filmed during a carnival between the Argentina and Bolivia border, Karnawal reflects on the spaces of refuge during adolescence and the ways in which the adult world imposes and halts creativity. A coming-of-age film starring the renowned national actor Alfredo Castro (El club, El príncipe) the film has already had an outstanding trajectory in industry events, including the main prize at Cineconstrucción Toulouse Films and four prizes at the Ventana Sur First Cut category. On the Chilean side the film is produced by Diego Rougier (Salt), in co-production with Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Bolivia. A great Latin American film that will be premiering in this second semester of 2020.
- The sky is red by Francina Carbonell (Storyboard Media)
In 2010, the fire in the San Miguel prison (Santiago) left 81 people dead and a trial without culprits. Carbonell's film immerses us in the horror of that morning and in the precariousness of the Chilean prison system through the mixture of different unpublished archives, including material from security cameras, legal folders and family testimonies. Composing a deep reflection about what is hidden and forgotten, navigating the limit of the judicial and the sensorial, Carbonell constructs a powerful journey through the structural violence in our society. A transcendent documentary that will give audiences a lot to talk about, incredibly contingent for this current moment. Produced by Gabriela Sandoval of Storyboard Media.
- Nobody Knows I´m Here by Gaspar Antillo (Fabula)
Fabula has brought audiences not only one of the most exciting Chilean films of the year, but also one of the most important first features of 2020. Winner of the Best New Director award at the Tribeca Film Festival and now streaming on Netflix worldwide, Antillo's work was born out of the curiosity of looking behind the curtain, of accessing the backstage of the human being within the artist. Starring Jorge García (Lost) and Luis Gnecco (Neruda), the story follows a man who lives his days remembering what was his short stint in the children's music industry. Mixing elements of humor and drama, Antillo's irreverent style is captivating.
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