Titled “Kino und Kampf. Latin America between East and West”, the retrospective will bring together films made between 1958 and 1985, featuring a strong selection of Chilean works and international productions exploring the country’s history. The programme will also examine how these films circulated and were preserved in Germany during the Cold War.
DOK Leipzig, the International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, will present a retrospective dedicated to Latin American political cinema of the 1960s and 1970s. Taking place in Germany from 26 October to 1 November, the festival will screen films exploring social change, anti-colonial movements and political developments across the region, alongside East German productions addressing these subjects.
The retrospective features seven programmes comprising five feature-length films and 16 short films. One of its key points of reference is Third Cinema, a Latin American film movement that emerged amid debates about social inequality, regional dictatorships, and colonial and cultural dependency.
Chile in the Retrospective
Chile will feature prominently in the retrospective, with three programmes exploring different periods of its political and social history, as well as international solidarity and the experiences of exile following the 1973 coup d’état.
Among the selected films is “El primer año” (1972), by Patricio Guzmán, which documents the first year of Salvador Allende’s government. The film covers events including agrarian reform, the nationalisation of copper and coal, the situation of the Mapuche people and Fidel Castro’s visit to Chile.
The programme also includes “Herminda de la Victoria” (1969), by Douglas Hübner, a short documentary about the occupation of land by families experiencing homelessness in Santiago in 1967 and the events that led to the establishment of the neighbourhood of the same name.
Another selected film is “Abastecimiento” (1973), by Raúl Ruiz, which explores supply shortages during the Popular Unity government through contrasting perspectives: those of a middle-class woman and the Minister of Economy at the time. The film also documents the work of the Juntas de Abastecimiento y Precios (JAP), local supply and price committees. Banned at the time and believed lost for many years, the film was later rediscovered.
The selection also features “Pintando con el pueblo”, by Leonardo Céspedes, documenting the creation of a collective painting outside La Moneda Palace, and “Somos +” (1985), by Pablo Salas and Pedro Chaskel, which follows a demonstration organised by the Mujeres por la Vida (Women for Life) movement in Santiago during the dictatorship.
International Films on Chile and Exile
The retrospective also includes films made outside Chile that explore the country’s history and the experiences of Chileans living in exile.
Among them is “Eine Minute Dunkel macht uns nicht blind” (1976), by Walter Heynowski, Gerhard Scheumann and Peter Hellmich. Produced in East Germany, the documentary brings together testimonies recorded in Santiago during the early years of the dictatorship. DOK Leipzig will screen a digitised and restored version of the film.
The programme also features “Chile lebt” (1976), an animated short film by Juan Forch and Michael Börner, produced in East Germany. It draws on imagery and graphic techniques associated with artistic expressions of international solidarity with Chile.
Experiences of exile are explored in “Eine chilenische Hochzeit” (1977), by Rainer Ackermann and Valentin Milanow, which documents a Chilean wedding in East Germany, and “Illapu – Lied von Freiheit und Liebe” (1984), by Carlos Puccio, which follows the Chilean musical group Illapu and the decisions its members face while living in exile.
The selection also includes “El tigre saltó y mató, pero morirá… morirá…”, by Cuban filmmaker Santiago Álvarez, a film dedicated to the memory and work of Chilean musician Víctor Jara.
The Circulation and Preservation of Latin American Cinema
Beyond the screenings, the retrospective will examine how Latin American political films circulated through festivals, distributors and archives in Leipzig, East Berlin, West Berlin and Oberhausen during the Cold War.
According to DOK Leipzig, many analogue prints of these films are now held in German archives. The retrospective will explore the networks of exchange and collaboration that enabled the films to be screened and preserved on both sides of the Berlin Wall.
Each of the seven programmes will be accompanied by a discussion. On 28 October, from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm, a DOK Talk will take place at the Zeitgeschichtliches Forum Leipzig, focusing on these historical connections and the challenges of film digitisation and preservation today.
The retrospective is presented in collaboration with Arsenal Filminstitut, the German Federal Archives and the DEFA Foundation.
For the full programme, film selection and screening times, visit the official DOK Leipzig website.
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