As has become the norm, the Chilean documentary genre continues to raise the bar for our country. This time with the Netflix premiere of the series A Sinister Sect: Colonia Dignidad, by Chilean production company Surreal Films, in co-production with Looks Films (Germany). The series delves into the life of the German leader Paul Schäfer, the victims of his cult, and his ties to dictator Augusto Pinochet.
Made up of six episodes, this production is the first original Chilean documentary series by Netflix. It was made thanks to the joint labor of Daniela Bunster (executive production) and Cristián Leighton (author), who lead a crew of more than 40 people. Among them are investigator Verónica Waissbluth and historical archive specialist Manuela Piña.
“It has taken us more than five years of work and it’s a source of pride to be able to present and distribute it around the world. It’s a demonstration of the extraordinary work that independent Chilean production companies have been doing for a while,” said Leighton.
WHAT AWAITS US IN COLONIA DIGNIDAD?
A Sinister Sect: Colonia Dignidad shows the rise of a poor German lay preacher into one of the most powerful men in Latin America who, after a 40-year reign, was toppled by a group of young Chileans.
The story is told through the eyes of those who lived there, who withstood it and fought against it, re-lived via exclusive, never-before-seen archival material. The series will be available to watch worldwide and in thirty languages.
Check out the trailer:
