By Mohsin Abbas/The Santiago Times Staff
SANTIAGO/BERLIN — Chile has arrived at the 67th Berlin Festival, after major triumphs in previous years too.
This year Chile has brought a film in official competition, two premieres in Panorama and Forum, and a delegation composed of more than 50 professionals of the audiovisual industry, among directors, producers and actors.
One of the main milestones of the Chilean participation in Berlin Film Festival – from 9 to 19 February – will be the presentation of the new film by Sebastián Lelio called Una mujer fantasica, which world premiere is today (Sunday).
Lelio, who returns to the official competition after the success of Gloria (Silver Bear Best Actress, 2013), will compete with 17 directors from around the world in one of the most demanding teams in Europe. The film, Chilean co-production (Fabula) with the United States (Participant Media), Germany (Komplizen Film) and Spain, was filmed in Santiago a year ago, and stars Daniela Vega and Francisco Reyes.
The story recounts the life of Marina, a girl who faces the death of her estranged boyfriend Orlando, an older man. The crisis occurs when Marina has to endure the eventual rejection of the Orlando family and fight to say goodbye to their love.
Berlin will also be the stage for the premiere of the documentary The Pact of Adriana, directed by Lissette Orozco and produced by Storyboard Media and Salmon Productions, being the national bet in the competition Panorama. The film tells how the director herself discovers the dark side of her aunt Adriana, who after being arrested by the police, is revealed to have worked for the DINA, Pinochet’s secret police.
Taking advantage of its closeness and privileged access to history, the filmmaker confronts Adriana and her personal conflicts to learn about the dark secrets of her family.
Adriana’s pact has also selected in the Ibero-American Documentary Feature Competition of the 32nd International Film Festival in Guadalajara.
To the previous films, will be added the world premiere of Casa Roshell, feature film by Camila Donoso co-produced by Mexico and Chile (Tonalá Lab & Interior XIII), which will compete in Forum, catalogued as the most daring section of the festival with experimental and political reports. The film tells the story of Roshell (51) and Liliana (43), who together manage Casa Roshell. As a utopian space, this place is a hiding place for those men who live repressed in their desires of feminization and transvestism.
Also noteworthy was the participation of two Chilean professionals who were invited by the festival to be part of their jurors.
On the one hand, the producer of Storyboard Media and artistic director of SANFIC (Santiago International Film Festival), Carlos Núñez, will be among the jury members in the competition Berlinale Shorts, while director Roberto Doveris, returns to the Generation category as a jury after winning the Section Generation 14Plus in 2016 with Plants. (with files from wires)
