Chile has selected The Meltdown / El deshielo, the second feature by Chilean filmmaker Manuela Martelli, as its official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards. The selection was announced by the Chilean Film Academy this morning.
The film had its world premiere earlier this year in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival. Set in Chile in 1992, during the early years of the country’s transition to democracy, The Meltdown follows nine-year-old Inés, who is staying at her grandparents’ remote hotel near an Andean ski resort. There she befriends Hanna, a 15-year-old German skier. When Hanna suddenly disappears, the ensuing search begins to expose truths hidden within the adult world around her.
The Meltdown marks Martelli’s return to directing following her acclaimed 2022 debut feature, Chile ‘76, which also premiered at Cannes. Like that film, her latest work explores the lingering shadows of Chile’s dictatorship, this time shifting the action to the beginning of the post-Pinochet era and filtering that history through the perspective of a child.
The film, a co-production between Chile, the United States, Spain, and Mexico, stars Maya O’Rourke, Saskia Rosendahl, Maia Domagala, Jakub Gierszal, Paulina Urrutia, Mauricio Pesutic, Lautaro Cantillana Teke, Paula Zúñiga, Roberto Farías, Luis Uribe, and Daniela Pino. It will be released in North America by Kino Lorber.
“We are very happy and deeply grateful for the Chilean Film Academy's trust in Manuela Martelli's The Meltdown. We know the responsibility this entails and we will work with great dedication and commitment, together with our international partners, to achieve the nomination. A lot of effort went into this production: snow that wouldn't arrive, an 8-year-old girl, dogs, an international cast, a large budget to finance, and many other challenges. Bringing the film to fruition was not easy. We never gave up, and with that same commitment and drive, we will face the challenges in the campaign ahead. We want to thank the entire team that worked on the film,” said Alejandra García, the film's producer.
Director Martelli said she was “very happy and deeply grateful for this nomination. It is a great honor for me that our colleagues have chosen us to represent them. This film has been a great adventure, a ‘little Fitzcarraldo’ of the Andes. It has meant an enormous effort from many people who put all their talent and enthusiasm into making it happen. This nomination recognizes the work of the entire team. For us, having the film be received this way is a dream come true, and we will do everything in our power to represent our community and our country in the best possible way.”
Chile has previously earned two Academy Award nominations for Best International Feature Film. Pablo Larraín’s No was nominated in 2013, while Sebastián Lelio’s A Fantastic Woman made history in 2018 as the first Chilean film to win the award.
