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Chile ‘76

Chile '76

Chile | 2022 | 95 min. | Manuella Martelli

May 26 - June 1, 2023

After a life of toeing the line as a bourgeois housewife in ’70s Chile, Carmen’s world is rocked when she’s asked to nurse a wounded rebel back to health, opening her up to certain danger in this tense and unforgettable thriller.

It's winter 1976 and for upper-class Chilean housewife Carmen (Aline Küppenheim), life's most pressing concerns center around which cashmere sweater to wear and what shade of pink looks best on the walls of her family's Las Cruces beach house. Forgoing her medical training for a life of privilege as the wife of successful doctor Miguel (Alejandro Goic), she's unexpectedly called upon by local priest Father Sanchez (Hugo Medina) to, in absolute secrecy, nurse critically wounded Elías (Nicolás Sepúlveda) back to health. As the relationship between nurse and patient deepens, and bodies of disappeared political dissidents begin washing up on local beaches, Carmen realizes the true horror of life under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, and the high price she's paid after a lifetime of suppressing her own dreams and desires. But as her political awakening takes hold and her actions become more brazen, Carmen finds herself walking a very dangerous tightrope. Unseen threats around every corner have her falling ever deeper into danger that even her class privilege cannot protect her from. A thrilling feature debut from acclaimed actress Manuela Martelli (Machuca; B-Happy).

Hebe Tabachnik

  • Director: Manuella Martelli
  • Principal Cast: Aline Kuppenheim, Nicolás Sepúlveda, Hugo Medina, Alejandro Goic
  • Country: Chile, Argentina, Qatar
  • Year: 2022
  • Running Time: 95 min.
  • Producer: Omar Zúñiga, Dominga Sotomayor, Alejandra García
  • Screenplay: Manuela Martelli, Alejandra Moffat
  • Cinematographers: Yarará Rodríguez
  • Editors: Camila Mercadal
  • Website: Official Film Website
  • Awards: Palm Springs International Film Festival 2023 (Best Ibero-American Film)
  • Filmography: Debut Feature Film
  • Language: Spanish
  • Has Subtitles: Yes
  • US Distributor: Kino Lorber
  • International Sales: Luxbox