Chilean Thriller 'Summer War' Debuts at Tribeca

The psychological thriller "Summer War" ("Guerra de Verano"), directed by Alicia Scherson, will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June. This marks Scherson's fifth feature and her second adaptation of a novel by Chilean author Roberto Bolaño. The film is set against the backdrop of 1989 Chile, during the final days of Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship.

"Summer War" stars an international cast, including Dan Beirne and Lux Pascal. It centers on Udo Berger, a champion of the popular board game Wargame, whose vacation takes a dark turn when a fellow tourist vanishes. The film explores themes of obsession and the blurred lines between games and reality.

Berlin-based Pluto Film has acquired the worldwide sales rights for "Summer War." Producers Isabel Orellana of Araucaria Cine and Pluto Film's Daniela and Benjamin Cölle expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, emphasizing the film's appeal to global festival audiences as an elevated arthouse thriller.

This Chile-Uruguay-Argentina-Italy co-production was initially developed under the title "1989" and went through San Sebastian Film Festival's co-production forum. The film challenges Scherson to explore a male protagonist consumed by obsession, a departure from her previous works with a more female perspective.