Venice-Bound Film Tackles Chile's Dark History

Chilean director Fernando Guzzoni is returning to the Venice Film Festival with his latest project, "Land of the Savages." This drama, set in 1850, aims to shed light on Chile's largely forgotten history of slavery, which spanned three centuries. The film features Édgar Ramírez as a powerful slave-owning businessman and Nahuel Pérez Biscayart as a controversial abolitionist, exploring themes of corruption and betrayal.

Guzzoni's inspiration for the film arose from a recent wave of xenophobia in Chile. His research uncovered a significant period of enslavement and exploitation of Black and Afro-Caribbean populations that has been erased from official historical accounts. The director believes this hidden history is crucial to understanding the formation of Chilean elites and the construction of a supposedly white European identity.

The film boasts a strong cast, with Ramírez drawn to the project due to his shared political and social interests with Guzzoni. Pérez Biscayart will portray a bourgeois character facing contradictions as abolition threatens his class power. Guzzoni views the film as a reflection of power construction in Latin America, highlighting how elites maintain social rankings by excluding minorities.

Production companies Oso Films and Foton Pictures are seeking a European co-producer and co-financing. They acknowledge the increasing difficulty in funding such films but see a positive trend toward South American cinema addressing the continent's past. Guzzoni is optimistic about the film's potential, aiming for both critical acclaim at festivals and broader audience appeal.