Released to widespread acclaim in Latin America and internationally, Machuca explores Chile’s bloody 1973 coup through the astonishingly intimate coming-of-age story of a pair of 12-year-old boys. From opposite extremes of society, Gonzalo (Matías Quer) and Pedro Machuca (Ariel Mateluna) form and unlikely friendship as politics rip their world apart.
Machuca is not just a political drama, but a poignant coming-of-age film, with perfectly pitched performances by the young actors, its story drawn from the filmmaker’s childhood. Machuca—one of the first narrative Chilean films to deal with the coup, and a hit at home—was another step in Chile’s slow reconciliation with its historical past.
Director and co-writer Andrés Wood, himself eight when Pinochet seized power, resurrects searing images of life—and tons of innocence—amidst a crumbling democracy. Cinematographer Miguel Juan Littin’s arresting visuals are accompanied by a lively, evocative soundtrack, adding further vibrancy to this unforgettable story. The film premiered at Cannes’ Director’s Fortnight and has won numerous festival prizes including the Audience Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Machuca was Chile’s official entry for the 2005 Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award.
MACHUCA
A film by Andrés Wood
(Chile/Spain/UK, 2004, 120 min. In Spanish with English subtitles)
Now streaming on Amazon Prime and Kanopy
Watch the trailer:
