Directed and narrated by Patricio Guzman, Chile, Obstinate Memory is a documentary film in which Guzman returns from exile to Chile to screen his trilogy of documentaries in The Battle of Chile for the first time in his home country while reflecting on what Chile has become. The film is a reflective look at a man returning home as he also talks to those who lived in the time when the country was under the rule of Augusto Pinochet. The result is a somber and evocative film from Patricio Guzman.
Returning to his home country nearly twenty-three years living in exile where only a few of his relatives have survived, the film has Patricio Guzman follow several individuals who were part of the Unidad Popular party, Salvador Allende’s personnel, and individuals who try to look back at the events of September 11, 1973 when a coup d’etat emerged and overthrew Allende in favor of a darker regime. The film has Guzman not only reflecting on that period when he made his trilogy of documentaries but also coming back to a country that is trying to suppress memories of those times as well as the rule of Augusto Pinochet following its coup which ended in 1988 following a referendum. With the help of cinematographers Eric Pittard and Paolo Saura, Guzman would have the camera all over Santiago, Chile including a sequence at the Presidential palace where Guzman have one of Allende’s former guards in the place pretending to be a crew member holding a tripod.
Interviewing bodyguards and Allende’s chambermaid at the palace, they all talk about what happened on that day of the coup as it would also include discussions about Unidad Popular and why it fell apart. Even as students debate over what it succeeded to do but also what it failed to do as some of them are conservative but not in an extreme way. Guzman would also feature some archival TV interview from Allende’s widow Hortensia Bussi who had to wait 17 years for her husband to receive a proper funeral that she could attend while still waiting for personal effects including photo albums to return to her. Guzman also touched on the disappearance of many people in the aftermath of the coup where many of Allende’s supporters were never seen again including members of Guzman’s own family as well as Jorge Muller Silva who was the cinematographer in Guzman’s trilogy of documentaries.
With help of editor Helene Girard in showcasing footage from his documentaries as well as a news footage and photos of the events of the coup, Guzman also showcase things in which some of the survivors of torture camps and such would look into. Even filmmakers and professors would talk about what happened where the film would culminate with private screenings of the trilogy of documentaries in four universities in Chile since public screening for the films is something that couldn’t be done then due to distributors’ fear of upsetting the people of Chile. Especially as Guzman would use sounds of the events with the aid of sound editor Leopoldo Gutierrez as the aftermath of the screening is quite devastating considering that a generation of kids who hadn‘t known much about the events of the coup are forced to face the reality of what happened. The film’s music by Robert Marcel Lepage is low-key as it play into traditional woodwind music of Chile yet its soundtrack is largely dominated by a performance of Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig Van Beethoven that is performed by Guzman’s uncle who also talks about what happens as he’s one of the few relatives who had survived the awful events during Pinochet’s reign of terror.
Chile, Obstinate Memory is an incredible film from Patricio Guzman. It’s not just this very personal and engrossing film about a man returning home to his home country but also reflect on the events that shaped his country and allow a group of people to see the documentaries he made about those events. In the end, Chile, Obstinate Memory is a phenomenal film from Patricio Guzman.
Related: The Battle of Chile Pt. 1 - The Battle of Chile Pt. 2 - The Battle of Chile Pt. 3
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Directed by Patricio Guzman, The Battle of Chile Pt. 3: Popular Power is the third and final film of a trilogy of documentaries chronicling the events of the September 11, 1973 coup d’etat as the film explore the Unidad Popular movement from March of 1972 and how it managed to defy the odds against conservative forces before the end of Salvador Allende’s rule as president of Chile. The film follows the same visual format but it is more about the rise and fall of Unidad Popular and how it managed to connect with the people at a time of conflict with the conservative and bourgeoisie as it’s narrated by Abilio Fernandez. The result is a compelling and somber film from Patricio Guzman.
Shot from March of 1972 to the summer of 1973 before the coup d’etat of September 11, 1973, the film is an exploration into the Unidad Popular party and its methods to keep Chile going despite the strikes and shortage of supplies led by the more conservative Christian Democratic party with the aid of U.S. government. The film follow not just the events where Unidad Popular would defy the odds and create a system for themselves but also find ways to create a community amidst the political turmoil in the country. While many of the views in the film definitely lean towards Marxism/socialism, it does showcase what the working class in Chile are dealing with against the opposition that is largely bourgeoisie.
The film is more structured than its predecessors where it focuses on what is going on in the streets and in working class areas in the first half while the second half is more about land owned by rich landowners that aren’t being used as well as the plight of the miners and workers at repair shops. The first half focuses on an attempted trucker’s strike which was driven by both members of the conservative/bourgeoisie members of congress with the aid of the U.S. government as they try to stop supplies from being reached to the people in an act of defiance against its president Salvador Allende. The second half showcases the movement against landowners who refuse to have their land used to create crops and resources for the country where workers do whatever they can to fight the landowners.
Patricio Guzman’s direction is definitely straightforward with its usage of hand-held cameras as it’s shot in black-and-white with the aid of cinematographer Jorge Muller Silva (whom the film is dedicated to) as it play into the events that is happening with Guzman talking directly to the people in their plight. Especially as they try and support Allende as much as they can. Editor Pedro Chaskel would gather some news footage and interviews that play into the situations where Guzman and Silva would go inside the mines or see how workers do whatever they can to get the needed supplies to the people. The sound work of Bernardo Menz would capture the sound of those protest marches during those times as it play into the growth and power of Unidad Popular and the influence it would have in various industries all over Chile. The film’s music by Jose Antonio Quintano is mostly low-key as it largely consists of traditional woodwind music to play into some of the quiet moments where the movement had succeeded despite the dark times what was to come.
The Battle of Chile Pt. 3: Popular Power is a remarkable film from Patricio Guzman. While it’s a more somber documentary that is focused on the people who are part of a movement against the more traditional and bourgeoisie society in Chile. It is still a fascinating film that explore the ideas of socialism as well as a country’s attempt to maintain a sense of community during a tumultuous time in Chile’s history. In the end, The Battle of Chile Pt. 3: Popular Power is a marvelous film from Patricio Guzman.
Related: The Battle of Chile Pt. 1 - The Battle of Chile Pt. 2 - Chile, Obstinate Memory
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Patricio Guzman, The Battle of Chile Pt. 2: The Coup d’etat is the second part in a trilogy of documentaries that explore the 1973 coup d’etat in Chile led by Augusto Pinochet against Salvador Allende. The film showcases the events leading to the coup following its first attempt in late June and how it would be successful as well as the horror that would impact the country for nearly two decades. The result is a fascinating yet visceral film from Patricio Guzman.
Picking up where its predecessor left off, the film chronicles the ten weeks of the summer of 1973 in Chile during a period of social and political unrest under the rule of its president Salvador Allende. The film, that is narrated by Abilio Fernandez, showcase the events that begins with the June 29 coup attempt as well as the attempts for a peaceful resolution between Allende and the more conservative Christian Democrats. During the course of the ten weeks, director Patricio Guzman and cinematographer Jorge Muller Silva (whom the film is dedicated to just like its predecessor) would film the many events that is happening including more protest marches and meetings that showcase the political disarray between the working class and poor against the middle and upper-class.
With this usage of hand-held cameras in black-and-white footage that include some TV footage collected by editor Pedro Chaskel. Guzman chronicle many of these events that include a strike from trucker owners driven that was partially funded by the CIA who would be instrumental in the coup d’etat on September 11, 1973. Guzman would also go in the middle of the marches and protests talking to regular people as well as showcase footage of the growing tension including brief moments of peace talks that included a funeral for naval officer Arturo Araya was assassinated by right-wing extremists as it set the tone for what is to come. With some wanting Allende to resign or to transfer power to the Christian Democratic-led congress, Allende would refuse as he would try to create another vote for September but that would all change on September 11, 1973.
The sound work of Bernardo Menz would capture the sounds of protests and violence including the film’s climax that feature footage of the coup d’etat on September 11, 1973. Most notably Allende’s final speech before he would kill himself at the Presidential palace though it was reported that he was killed by either gunfire or bombs from the jets attacking the palace. Featuring pictures including some of the last pictures of Allende hours before his death, Guzman would reveal the chaos of that day and how it would affect Chile in the course of twenty-four hours with Augusto Pinochet and members of the junta talking about the end of three years of Marxism in the country.
The Battle of Chile Pt. 2: The Coup d’etat is an incredible film from Patricio Guzman. It’s a haunting documentary that explore the events that lead to one of the most horrific uprisings in world history as well as the division in a country that nearly destroyed it. In the end, The Battle of Chile Pt. 2: The Coup d’etat is a sensational film from Patricio Guzman.
Related: The Battle of Chile Pt. 1 - The Battle of Chile Pt. 3 - Chile, Obstinate Memory
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Directed by Patricio Guzman, The Battle of Chile Pt. 1: The Insurrection of the Bourgeoisie is the first part of a trilogy of documentary films chronicling the events that led to a military coup d’etat led by Augusto Pinochet to overthrow President Salvador Allende on September 11, 1973. Shot during a period of turmoil in early 1973 following a congressional election to the events that led to the coup d’etat as it‘s narrated by Abilio Fernandez. The result is a chilling and evocative film from Patricio Guzman.
Shot from March of 1973 during a congressional election to the attempted coup d‘etat in June of that year, the film follow the events that lead to the military coup d’etat by Augusto Pinochet who would overthrow President Salvador Allende who would kill himself during the coup. Told in several chapters, the film follows all of the sides that lead to a very catastrophic event in Chile that shows a country severely divided. It begins with the congressional election in which the left-wing Unidad Popular (Popular Unity) party overwhelmingly defeated the more conservative Confederation of Democracy party. The film interview many ordinary people who support the UP or CODE as it display this divide socially and politically among the people as UP tends to favor the working class, the poor, and Socialists while CODE is supported more towards the middle and upper class.
With the aid of cinematographer Jorge Muller Silva (whom the film is dedicated to) as well as several cameramen, Patricio Guzman goes inside into the events that led to this coup as he’s in the middle of protest marches or filming it from afar. With Abilo Fernandez narrating these events that include student marches, a miner’s strike over copper when Pinochet decided to nationalize the copper mines for its people, and attempts by the country’s congress led by its right-wing opposition would showcase these things that tried to crackdown on Allende’s rule. Much of the camerawork in the film with hand-held cameras as it is all shot in grainy black-and-white film stock where Guzman would shoot many of these events as it play into this political and social divide in Chile.
With the help of editor Pedro Chaskel and the sound work of Bernardo Menz, Guzman would showcase these moments that are quite intense as well as violence in the streets. The film would end with the early moments of the June coup d’etat as it shows some shocking footage that lead to a sign of what is to come. Even as Guzman and narrator Abilo Fernandez would talk about the U.S. involvement with the coup later that September as some of the conservative officials and managers were trained by the CIA.
The Battle of Chile Pt. 1: The Insurrection of the Bourgeoisie is a tremendous film from Patricio Guzman. It’s a harrowing documentary that explores one of the darkest chapters in world history captured by a film crew that sees everything unfolding just as it’s happening. In the end, The Battle of Chile Pt. 1: The Insurrection of the Bourgeoisie is a phenomenal film from Patricio Guzman.
Related: The Battle of Chile Pt. 2 - The Battle of Chile Pt. 3 - Chile, Obstinate Memory
© thevoid99 2017
