Santiago, Italia (2018)
No stats available
Directors
Through archival footage and interviews, this documentary examines how Italy’s embassy in Santiago sheltered Chileans persecuted after the 1973 coup.
The story
Using archival footage and present-day interviews with both well-known and lesser-known participants, the documentary recounts the months following Chile’s 1973 coup. It focuses on the Italian Embassy in Santiago, which provided refuge to hundreds of people opposing Augusto Pinochet. Interviewees include filmmakers Miguel Littin, Patricio Guzmán and Carmen Castillo, as well as diplomats Piero De Masi and Roberto Toscano. The film draws on interviews with people who supported and criticized the coup, presenting multiple perspectives on the embassy’s role as persecuted Chileans sought safety and a route out of the country.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The documentary recounts the months following the 1973 coup in Chile through archival footage and present-day interviews with people involved, both unknown and well known (including filmmakers Miguel Littin, Patricio Guzmán, and Carmen Castillo). It focuses especially on the role played by the Italian Embassy in Santiago, which gave refuge to hundreds of opponents of Augusto Pinochet and later enabled them to travel to Italy. Among the film’s main interviewees are two diplomats: Piero De Masi (at the time, chargé d’affaires at the Embassy) and Roberto Toscano. The editing process drew on around forty hours of interviews and includes both supporters and critics of Pinochet’s coup. Of the roughly 250 people who were persecuted and took refuge there, some obtained visas to travel to Italy, where they stayed and rebuilt their lives.
Genres
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…