30 Nov 2016
Director: Patricio Guzmán
Chile, France, Spain
2015
82 min
Water is the key to life and the central subject of this intensely lyrical documentary essay from Guzmán. Chile’s history is defined by its long indented coastline and Katell Djian’s gliding camera makes the most of massive mountains, volcanoes and glaciers. The fate of Patagonia’s indigenous tribes is investigated. Thanks to the arrival of European colonisers, these nomadic Water People have
become almost extinct apart from a few survivors. Pursuing an equally dark aspect of Chilean history, the film proceeds to consider the more recent disappearances of those tortured, killed and deposited in the ocean by Pinochet’s regime. This is a powerful work graced with stunning imagery.