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Editor's Note:
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Chile, like other countries in Latin America, underwent the artistic rebirth now known as the New Latin American Cinema. With a social realist aesthetic and a thematic focus on the semi-colonial conditions of Latin America, powerful films such as Valparaiso, mi amor (1970) and El chacal de Nahueltoro (1970) took Chilean audiences by storm. Yet the 1973 overthrow of president Salvador Allende brought Chile's cinematic experiment to an abrupt end, as military dictator Augusto Pinochet systematically attacked the country's cinematic infrastructure (closing schools and studios and destroying film archives) and filmmakers themselves, many of whom went into exile. It was not until the late 1980s, as political repression eased somewhat, that the industry began to recover. The late 1980s and early 1990s ushered in a group of films that criticized life under the dictatorship, including Latent Image (1987), Toffee or Mint (1990), and The Frontier (1991).
Since then Chile has seen a resurgence of cinematic creativity as a younger generation of filmmakers has come of age and the country has returned to civilian rule. This new wave of Chilean cinema has in some cases returned more obliquely to the political themes of the past, for example in films like Amnesia (1994). Yet many recent films have moved away from work with openly political subject matter or raw, experimental aesthetics, instead attempting to combine good storytelling with polished production values to create an accessible, popular national cinema. These recent films include comedies such as Soccer Stories (1997) and The Sentimental Teaser (1999), dramas like Coronation (2000) and Paraiso B (2002), and even the thriller Angel Negro (2000), billed as Chile's first horror film. But despite an extremely enthusiastic reception in Chile and numerous prizes from international film festivals, few of these films have been picked up for theatrical release in the United States. Considered too "mainstream" for the US art-house circuit, they have unfortunately not received the critical attention they deserve. LAVA is pleased to present a selection of these recent works.
Receive a 10% discount with purchase of three videos or more. To order any of these videos, contact us by email at info@lavavideo.org, by phone 212-243-4804, or by fax 212-243-2007. Our website, www.latinamericanvideo.org, allows for secure purchases by credit card.
Photographer, The Get Details and Purchasing Info
Sebastian Alarcon
Feature 96 minutes 2002
With English subtitles
This lighthearted but complex film, set in the charming seaport city of Valparaíso in the 1950s, takes on art, love, friendship, and the ups and downs of life. Simón is a jaunty photojournalist with an obsession for his artistic dream: a photonovel that will redefine art by representing life as it truly is. But one tragicomic event after another sets him back. His boss wants to use the project to sell bottled water, his landlady gets jealous of his leading lady, and his new camera takes pictures only when it feels like it. But even as Simón tries to make his art imitate life, life in the film starts to imitate art: the scenes alternate between decades, and the images between vivid color and black and white. Meanwhile the unforgettably goofy characters that populate the film are both deeply human and hilarious caricatures of themselves: a kittenish overweight landlady, a boorishly materialistic boss, a has-been playboy, and an ingenuous Audrey Hepburn look-alike. But just as Simón slides into cynicism and the commercialization of his art, an unexpected revelation brings him back to his old dream. Subtle, sunny, hilarious, and profound, this film is a bold new statement in Latin American film. Featured at Chicago Latino Film Festival, Havana Film Festival and Providence Film Festival.
Purchase Price: $ 99.95
Sentimental Teaser, The Get Details and Purchasing Info
Cristian Galaz
Feature 90 minutes 1999
With English subtitles
This beloved Chilean box-office smash hit tells three engaging tales of love, longing, family and housing. Anonymous callers ring in to tell all to a young, eccentric radio talk show host, recounting their most intimate stories to an eager listening public. In "Patas Negras," a provincial university student has a provocative encounter with his alluring neighbor; in "Secretos," a young woman must face the secret that has haunted her family; and in "Todo es Cancha," a young couple struggles with the nuisances of overcrowded project housing. This sincere crowd-pleaser is the most widely seen domestic film in Chile to date.
Purchase Price: $ 99.95
Soccer Stories Get Details and Purchasing Info
Andres Wood
Feature 87 minutes 1997
With English subtitles
Latin America's passion for soccer is the central theme that ties together three very different lives in this film. From behind-the-scenes bribes paid to players to the unexpected outcome of bets placed on a game, this film explores the centrality of sports to everyday life with wisdom and humor. A smash hit upon release, Andres Wood's directorial debut has become a landmark in Chilean national cinema.
Purchase Price: $ 99.95
Frontier, The Get Details and Purchasing Info
Ricardo Larrain
Feature 113 minutes 1991
With English subtitles
During Chile's military dictatorship, Ramiro Orellana is sentenced to internal exile in Chile's desolate south. The urban schoolteacher finds himself in a lonely, isolated village that nevertheless resonates with him as he befriends the quirky inhabitants and explores the majestic landscape. This outstanding first feature by director Ricardo Larrain won best script at the Havana Film Festival and the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival in 1990. "Despite the serious theme, the film is often quietly hilarious and it delights in the absurd." -- Timothy Barnard, South American Cinema: A Critical Biography
Purchase Price: $ 99.95
Amnesia Get Details and Purchasing Info
Gonzalo Justiniano
Feature 90 minutes 1994
With English subtitles
In this Kafka-esque drama set in Chile, Ramirez is a low-ranking soldier who, while he was stationed at a prison camp in the desert, was forced by a sadistic sergeant to shoot prisoners. But will murdering the murderer really help Ramirez come to terms with his past? The director explains that he made the film to "counter general amnesia" in Chile. "There exists a constant desire to forget, an attitude of stubbornly forging ahead without looking back," he says.
Purchase Price: $ 200.00
Candy or Mint (Toffee or Mint) Get Details and Purchasing Info
Gonzalo Justiniano
Feature 86 minutes 1990
With English subtitles
This film chronicles the descent of two teenagers, Niki and Nacho, into a world of prostitution, violence, drugs, and crime. Made as the 17-year dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet came to an end, the film satirizes the dismal choices of the post-Pinochet generation, whose indulgence in petty crime and empty sex betray a larger sense of boredom and desperation.
Purchase Price: $ 200.00
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