The village voice called it the major political film of our time, 4 and the san francisco chronicle a landmark in the presentation of living history on film. The battle of chile did not just start with salvador allendes election in 1973. The battle of chile part 1 english subtitled the epic chronicle of chiles open and peaceful socialist revolution, and of the violent counterrevolution against it in 1973. Finding that parliamentary democracy would not stop allendes socialist policies, the rightwing shifted its. From his childhood in valparaiso to his death during the pinochet military coup on september 11, 1973, the life and works of chilean president salvador allende. The battle of chile part 1 and part 2 icarus films. It is a chronicle of the political tension in chile in 1973 and of the violent counter revolution against the democratically elected government of salvador allende. When american film audiences last heard from the chilean director patricio guzman, the year was 1978 and the battle of chile, his 190minute documentary about the destruction of the elected. The film shows a left divided over strategy, while the right. It was fought on 7 june 1880, between the forces of chile and peru. The battle of chile, part 3 1979 chile, obstinate memory. Filmed by a young crew, this film is a major testimony to chiles political history. The insurrection of the bourgeoisie 1975, the coup detat. Exiled in 1973, guzman returned to chile after pinochet ceded power to show the battle of chile for the first time in santiago, a trip recorded as chile, obstinate memory 1997.
The battle of chile, part 1 1975 the battle of chile. The first film in a twopart documentary on the fate of allendes popular unity government filmed throughout chile from february to september 1973. Not only the best film about allende and the coup detat, but among the best documentary films ever made, changing our concepts of political documentary within a framework accessible to the widest audience. The battle of chile is a film of monumental ambition, an attempt to reconstitute an event while respecting its intricacies and contradictions. On september 11, 1973, president salvador allendes democratically elected chilean government was overthrown in a bloody coup by. The second part of the battle of chile begins with the chilean militarys first attempted coup in june 1973 and tracks the steady deterioration of allendes position across the last months leading up to september 11. Part 1 salvador allende the battle of chile youtube.
The power of the people chile, obstinate memory, documentary by patricio guzman a 22 minute filmed interview with patricio guzman. Documentary maker patricio guzman reportsand reflectson the chilean coup. It took several years to edit the films, including a part three, subtitled the power of the people, which was released in 1978, and deals. Andy beckett salutes the battle of chile film the guardian. Once freed, he fled chile and finished the battle of chile in exile. Part one examines the escalation of rightist opposition following the lefts victory in congressional elections held in march, 1973. The chilean war of independence was a war between proindependence chilean criollos seeking political and economic independence from spain and royalist creoles supporting continued allegiance to the captaincy general of chile and membership of the spanish empire traditionally, the beginning of the war is dated as september 18, 1810. It is a threepart documentary with a fourth released almost 20 years later about the whole process of the congressional election in chile and the period of allendes socialist government who from the.
Time out film guide great films rarely arrive as unheralded as the battle of chile. Two of the films had world premiere screenings at the cannes film festival, part one in 1975, and part two in 1976. Long banned in chile after pinochets coup, only in 1997 could guzman return to show the battle of chile there for the first time. Obstinate memory, the 1997 film that guzman compiled when he returned to his homeland to seek out survivors among allendes supporters and to show the battle of chile for the first time to members of a generation born in the intervening years. Judy stone of the san francisco chronicle called it a landmark in the presentation of living history on film.
Not only does this detached speechifying fall to mesh with the footage, it saps the resources of the film viewer, and frankly, makes battle of chile excessively boring at times. The battle of chile consists of three films created using footage that was smuggled out of chile after the ouster of the allende regime as a result of a coup detat in 1973. Part two opens with the attempted military coup of june, 1973, which is put down by troops loyal to the government but everyone now realizes the final showdown is only a matter of time. The three films all tell a different version of events and so they are not films that must be seen in sequence. The screening will take place in the rubenstein arts centers film theater, at 6. One of the best decisions that guzman made was to focus his film not on allende but on the people of chile, thus allowing his film to have the proper scope within the context of chiles most tumultuous days.
Taking place during the chilean coup detat in 1973, this film opens with the attempted military coup of june 1973, which is put down by troops loyal to the. The insurrection of the bourgeoisie 1975, the coup detat 1976, popular power 1979. The battle of chile is an unprecedented film in cinema history, capturing the highs and lows of a revolution. It is a threepart documentary with a fourth released almost 20 years later about the whole process of the congressional election in chile and the period of allendes socialist government who from the beginning was swimming upstream, fighting against the old rightwing of chile and, especially, the secret interests of the cia and the usa. The battle of chile tromso international film festival. Depending on what terms are used to define its end, it. The battle of chile and nostalgia for the light movie. Produced by chris marker who provided much of the film stock for the documentary, the battle of chile is a colossal endeavour. The second film in a twopart documentary on the fate of allendes popular unity government filmed throughout chile from february to september 1973. Watch the battle of chile part 1 english subtitled. The battle of arica, also known as assault and capture of cape arica, was a battle in the war of the pacific. The struggle of a people without weapons documentary film on chile during the government of the unidad popular from january 1973 until the military coup on september 11, 1973. Starting with a parade through the capital in which allende is cheered by his supporters, the film goes on to deal with a number of crucial. Interview with chilean film director patricio guzman, whose 1978 documentary the battle of chile, about destruction of elected government of.
Great films rarely arrive as unheralded as the battle of chile. The insurrection of the bourgeoisie is a 1975 documentary film written by federico elton, jose bartolome, julio garcia espinosa. The first portion is the coup detat, the 91minute central section of the battle of chile, patricio guzmans. The battle of chile is a monumental documentary shot in realtime that has become one of the references of cinema verite truthful cinema. The battle of chile 1975, directed by patricio guzman.
Noel carroll, the soho weekly news, january 19, 1978. Its a rueful document, as guzman picks at scabs no one wants opened, bringing his film to schoolchildren who were taught a bizarro world version of the events of 1973. The battle of chile is a documentary film directed by the chilean patricio guzman, in three parts. The anniversary of pinochets coup offers a rare opportunity to see the battle of chile.
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