With Maite Alberdi, twice Oscar nominated for her last two docus, “The Everlasting Memory” and “The Mole Agent,” and Tana Gilbert whose feature debut “Malqueridas” won the Grand Prize at Venice’s Critics’ Week, Chilean documentaries are having a banner 12 months.
Five documentaries take part in the May 20 Chilean Docs-in-Progress Showcase on the Marché du Film’s docu section, Cannes Docs.
Furthermore, a delegation of some 15 other Chilean documentary filmmakers have swept into town with their respective projects, with themes starting from gender issues, Indigenous peoples, climate change, teenage suicide and even, true crime.
“Chilean documentaries today touch on more universal themes, they aren’t so inward-looking,” Chiledoc director Paula Ossandon told Variety.
Certainly one of them, “Oasis,” has been picked up by Argentina’s Compañía de Cine to handle its international sales. Created by the MAFI filmmakers collective, this feature doc, which premiered at Berlinale, explores Chile’s failed try and draft a brand new structure to interchange the one from the Pinochet dictatorship.
“The Chilean documentary ecosystem is really remarkable – artistically vibrant, politically engaged, and creatively diverse – and passionately supported by the organizations answerable for its global promotion, starting with Chiledoc,” said Pierre-Alexis Chevit, head of Cannes Docs, who expressed his delight at welcoming the 4 Chilean docs-in-progress, in addition to the winner at Conecta 2023, “Trying to find the Other.”
The Docs-In-Progress Chile Showcase goals to spice up the financing and distribution opportunities for the works presented there. “Our documentaries have triumphed in festivals however the challenge is to get them distribution outside of the festival circuit,” said Ossandon.
The chosen projects are:
“Aliyá, Yeridá,” Rafael Guendelman
In Hebrew, “Aliyá” means immigrating to Israel (going up), and “Yeridá” means emigrating from Israel (descending). Using family archives, the director examines why his family moved to Israel within the Seventies and the disappointments that led them to return to Chile years later.
“We’re at a vital stage to meet our goal of premiering throughout the first semester of 2025 after securing funding for post-production and having advanced editing. At Cannes Docs, we aim to determine connections with programmers and distributors occupied with political and migration narratives. We seek to reflect on the armed conflict within the Middle East from a Latin American perspective,” said producer Joaquín Echeverría of Brisa Movies.
Aliyá, Yeridá
“Unwelcomed” (“Si vas para Chile”), Amilcar Infante and Sebastián González
In 2021, northern Chile saw a serious anti-immigration protest marked by violence, including the burning of tents, baby strollers and belongings. While these images spread globally, the stories of those affected didn’t. This account gives voice to the immigrants facing adversity and the locals enduring ongoing social conflict in the tough Atacama Desert. Much of its visually arresting cinematography was shot with drones.
“It’s a source of pride and an excellent opportunity to make our debut feature film visible on the international stage in Cannes,” said producer Sebastián González who, alongside fellow producer Esteban Sandoval, seeks to lift the obligatory financing and partnerships to finish the film.
“The Stationary Traveler” (“Viajero inmóvil”), Fernando Lavanderos and Sebastián Pereira
Two young filmmakers ask legendary Chilean director Cristián Sánchez (70) to make a brand new film but with specific rules: it must feature zombies and resurrect characters from his classic movies. This darkly comic documentary contrasts today’s culture’s demand for efficiency with the relaxed tranquility of the ‘70s embodied in Sánchez’s work.
“It’s the primary time we’ll show a preview of what has been a piece of a few years. This can be a unique instance, not only by way of visibility—being one in every of the most important markets on the planet—but in addition as a chance to generate networks for this and the opposite projects in our portfolio,” said producer Francisco Hervé of Juntos Movies.
The Stationary Traveler
“Returning Where I Have Never Been” (“Vuelvo donde nunca estuve”), Constanza Vásquez and Andrés Morales
Two journeys a century apart: In 1895, 165 Selk’nam people were captured on Tierra del Fuego and sent to Punta Arenas for domestic service. In 2021, Fernanda Olivares, a Selk’nam descendant, became the primary to return to her ancestral land, proving her people aren’t extinct.
“Our documentary seeks to spread what the Selk’nam people have been working on for a while: to speak to the world that they aren’t an extinct people and that they seek to provide a brand new starting to their history of their ancestral territory,” said Vásquez. Produced by Alejandra Rosas and Magdalena Ponce of Tonina Sur and Quetro Prods.
Returning Where I Have Never Been
“Trying to find the Other,” Cons Gallardo
Winner of the Conecta 2023, a world industry event aimed toward linking Latin American projects with industry reps worldwide, held in Santiago, Chile.
Produced by Esteban Sandoval of Pejeperro Movies, docu stems from Gallardo’s resistance to gender roles. She explores the world of non-binary Machi Marcelina, a Mapuche ancestral authority wrongfully accused of murder and witchcraft in 1995. After her release, Marcelina faced community prejudice and distanced herself. Her story inspires Gallardo to reflect on good, evil and love beyond stigmas.
The Chilean Docs-in-Progress presentation is slated for Monday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 11.15 a.m. on the Palais des Festivals.
