• To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the civil-military coup in Chile, the association «Documentaire sur Grand Écran» will organize a retrospective and tour with Ignacio Agüero in different cities in France as part of the «Le cinéma d’Ignacio Agüero, mémoire d’une dictature (1973-2023)» cycle.
• For two weeks, the work of the renowned Chilean documentary filmmaker will be screened in French theaters, with the director present at each of these showings.
As part of one of the many commemorative events taking place around the world to mark the 50th anniversary of the civil-military coup in Chile, Documentaire Sur Grand Écran will host a retrospective on Ignacio Agüero, the documentary filmmaker who brings the country’s history to life through his unique perspective.
From November 3 to 12, 2023, Agüero will visit different French cities, where he will present six of his documentaries: El Diario de Agustín (Agustin’s Newspaper), Cien niños esperando un tren (One Hundred Children Waiting for a Train), No olvidar (Not To Forget), Como me da la gana, Como me da la gana II, and El otro día (The Other Day).
Pauline Girardot, the general delegate of Documentaire Sur Grand Écran, points out that they decided to organize this exhibition because «two years ago, we discovered Cien niños esperando un tren (One Hundred Children Waiting for a Train), and we were deeply impressed by Ignacio Agüero’s work, so we wanted to learn more about him.»
For Ignacio Agüero, this tribute reflects on «how much the French care about what happened in Chile with the Unidad Popular and then with the military coup. I feel that they think the films reflect, in some way, the time and the dramas that unfolded during the dictatorship,» adds the documentary filmmaker.
Regarding the selection of Agüero and these films to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the military coup, Girardot explains, «Among his films, six of them addressed the dictatorship in different ways that particularly interested us. We learn that he stayed in Chile throughout the entire dictatorship and continued making films there, in that situation.»
When the civil-military coup took place in Chile on September 11, 1973, Agüero was just starting his studies in Architecture and Film at the School of Communication Arts at the Catholic University of Chile.
During the dictatorship, he remained in Santiago, where he filmed movies that reflect on the political history of the country, amplifying the voices of children, widows of disappeared detainees, and filmmakers, among other people who were protagonists of these dark years.
This is not the first time Agüero has showcased his work in France. Previously, he was featured at the Biarritz Festival and exhibited in Lussas, Toulouse, Marsella, and the Pompidou Center in Paris, also known as the Beaubourg.
For this tour, the documentary filmmaker hopes to «expand the knowledge that exists in France about my films» and adds that, from his experience with European audiences, «meaningful conversations take place.»
For Girardot, it is also clear that the exhibition and Agüero’s presence will raise the interest not only of the Chilean public but also of the large French audience. «Since the military coup, many Chilean people sought refuge in France, and the French have been aware of this situation. We knew that the forums with Ignacio Agüero would be received with enthusiasm. That’s why we organized a tour, in partnership with La Thèque du Documentaire, to draw attention to Ignacio’s films and introduce them to the French audience.»
In these instances, Agüero faces a challenge when it comes to recounting fragments of Chile’s history through his documentaries in the international market. «The conversation shifts from historical aspects to those more related to cinema, in terms of questioning what cinema is, something that I believe is present in all of my films,» the director concludes.
Dates and cities
– November 03, 2023, in Douarnenez
– November 04, 2023, in Lorient
– November 5, 2023, on the island of Groix
– November 06, 2023, in Quimper
– November 07, 2023, in Paris
– November 08 and 09, 2023, in Marseille
– November 10 and 11, 2023, in Amiens
– November 12, 2023, in Brussels (Belgium)
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