Chile, Obstinate Memory

The voice of memory speaks up against oblivion. Time is passing. A generation of young Chileans has grown up with no knowledge of the facts surrounding the military coup of September 11, 1973. On that day, Salvador Allende's democratically elected socialist government was overthrown by General Pinochet. It was supposed to be Juan's wedding day. Instead, he was almost killed fighting the dictator's troops. Now, Patricio Guzmán returns to Chile, after 23 years. The time has come to reveal the long-forgotten truth. With him, Guzmán brings La Bataille du Chili, his major chronicle of that country's open and peaceful revolution. His documentary toured the world but was never seen in Chile. Discreetly, he shows it to his friends and a small group of students. Those who survived the struggle recognize their "disappeared" comrades, recall their courage and love of life. After the screening, the young people are in a state of shock. In their need to know the truth, they seem to express all the repressed feelings of the Chilean people. They feel invested with a historical duty, knowing it is they who must build the Chile of tomorrow. In French with English subtitles.