Seeing as we came up with a top 5 list of Argentine movies, it seems only fair to do the same for neighbouring Chile. Despite a lull in production after the 1973 military coup, Chilean cinema was fairly prolific throughout the 20th century and enjoyed reasonable notoriety.
However, it was not until the late 1990s and early 2000s that Chilean movies achieved significant box office success. Then in 2012, No became the first Chilean film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
So if you are interested in discovering what the country’s film fanatics like to watch, check out one or more of our top 5 Chilean movies.
1. “El chacal de Nahueltoro” (Jackal of Nahueltoro) – 1969
In 1960, José del Carmen Valenzuela Torres, an alcoholic peasant from the small town of Nahueltoro in Chile, brutally murdered Rosa Rivas Acuña and her five children. This film is based on the testimonies of Torres while he was being prosecuted and the notes of journalists who interviewed him. He was eventually sentenced to death by firing squad but not before learning how to read and write.
2. “El Chacotero Sentimental” (The Sentimental Teaser) – 1999
An eccentric DJ named Rumpy hosts a radio call-in show where he helps everyday Chileans with their problems, which range from ridiculous to tragic. This is a must for those wanting a greater understanding of Chilean culture, as it demonstrates how issues are handled with humour and/or denial.
3. “Sexo con Amor” (Sex with Love) – 2003
When parents of fourth-grade students meet to address how the school should deal with sex education, they are forced to re-examine their own views on the subject. The film goes on two show how three couples are ambushed by their own erotic passions and each profess an undying love to their parents.
4. “Machuca” – 2004
Set in 1973 Santiago during Salvador Allende’s socialist government, the film features the impoverished Pedro Machuca as he is integrated into the elite school of his friend Gonzalo Infante under the watchful eye of the school’s director Father McEnroe. This film was nominated for the Ariel Award in 2005 in the category Best Iberoamerican Film and won Most Popular International Film at the 2004 Vancouver International Film Festival.
5. “No” – 2012
Advertising executive René comes up with a plan to defeat Augusto Pinochet in Chile’s 1988 referendum. It details the moment when advertising tactics became widely used in political campaigns. In addition to its Oscar nomination, No won the Art Cinema Award at Cannes Film Festival.
