More good news for the Chilean film industry. Today, three Chilean films were announced as participants in another of the San Sebastian Film Festival’s official competitions. The Horizontes Latinos section revealed its prestigious selection this morning, which includes three Chilean films: Spider, the latest film by Andrés Wood; El Príncipe, by Sebastián Muñoz – which will first premiere at the Venice Film Festival—; and The Cordillera of Dreams, by documentary filmmaker Patricio Guzmán, which was premiered at the most recent edition of the Cannes Film Festival.
The competition consists of productions that have not yet released in Spain, produced totally or partially in Latin America and directed by filmmakers from Latin America, or films that explore Latino communities across the world. This year, the section will present a selection of fifteen Latin American productions, which includes films recognized at Cannes and Sundance, and selected at Berlin and Venice. The opening film is the latest Patricio Guzmán film, The Cordillera of Dreams, which was presented in a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival and received a Golden Eye Award for Best Documentary. The 84-minute piece is the final installment of the trilogy that Guzman began with Nostalgia for the Light (2010) and continued with The Pearl Button (2015). Produced by the company Atacama Productions (France) in co-production with Market Chile and Pantalla Cines, the film is described in Guzman’s own words –through his synopsis— as follows: “In my country, the Cordillera is everywhere. But for the Chilean citizens, it is an unknown territory. After going north to make Nostalgia for the Light and south for The Pearl Button, I now feel ready to film this immense backbone, to explore its beauty and reveal its mysteries.”
This highly acclaimed documentary is joined by Spider, the newest film by director Andrés Wood (Machuca, Violeta Went to Heaven), which features performances by Marcelo Alonso and by renowned Argentinean actress Mercedes Morán. The film follows the line of his political films set in past decades, but this time, his story focuses on Patria y Libertad, a Chilean paramilitary group that seeks to overthrow the Marxist Chilean government during the 1970s. In the heat of this struggle, the characters become involved in a passionate love triangle that separates them forever. Forty years later, Gerardo (Alonso) returns with the intent to reawaken the nationalist cause. Inés (Morán), who has become an influential businesswoman, will do whatever it takes for her past to remain a secret. The 98-minute film was produced by Wood Producciones (Chile) in co-production with Argentina and Brazil, and is preparing its release in Chilean theaters for this upcoming August 15th.
Another of the films that will have its Spanish premiere in the Horizontes Latinos competition is The Prince, by Sebastián Muñoz, which will have its international premiere at the 76th edition of the Venice Film Festival. This fiction feature-length film is based on the homonymous novel written by Mario Cruz. The story takes place in 1970, where after a night of heavy drinking, Jaime (Juan Carlos Maldonado) stabs his best friend in what appears to be an outburst of passion. In prison he meets “El Potro”, an older and respected man with whom he will initiate a relationship. Jaime begins to be known as “The Prince” and discovers affections and loyalties, while at the same time dealing with the power struggles that exist behind bars. This is Muñoz’s debut film, produced by the Chilean production companies El Otro Film and Niña Niño Films in co-production with Le Tiro (Argentina) and Be Revolutions Pictures (Belgium).
