Machuca

Pervasive and powerful film from Chile, about life before and after Pinochet. «Nobody has ever touched the loss of the democracy in Chile from this innocent perspective. Children experience events, but they do not judge. They simply live, and bear witness.» This was uttered by the director Andrés Wood – who himself was eight years old when a military coup gave General Augusto Pinochet the power in Chile – about his film Machuca. The film hit a nerve in a country still struggling to process its painful history, and was a huge success in its home country. Eleven-year-old Gonzalo Infante is smart and wealthy. Pedro Machuca of the same age is poor, but fearless. Despite their differences, the two boys become friends. Honest and direct – without being unduly sentimental. This drama will touch you deeply. cb