Machuca, one of the masterpieces of Chilean cinema, is now on RTVE Play
Two decades ago, Chilean cinema premiered Machucaone of the most popular and recognized films in its history. Director Andrew Woodthe film is based on the novel The story of the real Machucawritten by the poet Eledin Parragues. The story begins in the city of Santiago de Chile, a few years before the coup d’état. Pinochet. A period when friendship between two children from different social classes was still possible, as in the case of its protagonists, Gonzalo Infante and Pedro Machuca, due to the educational integration imposed by the then president. Salvador Allende.
Infante comes from a wealthy area, while Machuca comes from a modest illegal settlement recently built a few blocks away. Their lives intersect when a religious school starts a social inclusion program. Machuca speaks of worlds separated by a great invisible wall some, trying to make dreams of an era full of revolutionary hopes come true, want to destroy them.
Friendship in front, history in the background
Machuca This is a social film, but this background – the background of an emerging dictatorship and the associated loss of social rights – is filled with darkness, while the viewer’s gaze dwells on something brighter – the friendship of its main characters and their innocent view of the world. The director leaves the brushstrokes of the reality that naturally surrounds them are the details that describe the situation that is about to happen in Chile.in the early 70s. You can see graffiti on the walls, advertisements in newspapers, signs in stores that say that there is no more meat, eggs and flour.
Mathias Ker, Manuela Martelli and Ariel Matelina in the film Machuca
Against the stigma of poverty
Gonzalo and Pedro naturally accept each other’s differences. They consider themselves more pacifists than adults. Then it is clear that they I don’t know the word “prejudice” and they have little understanding of the level of violence in their country. Like other great stories like life is beautifulsuccess in Machuca is to put a glance camera in children’s eyesthat is, from the point of view of innocence, to reflect in the images the harsh vision of the repressive regime.
Call for free education
In the background there is also a call for education as a path to freedom, as a fundamental tool for overcoming inequality. Machuca It emphasizes that integrative education, which existed before the Chilean dictatorship, broke the vicious circle of poverty, not only material poverty, but also poverty of opportunity.
“Machuka”, famous Chilean film (2004).
Two debutantes, what happened to the children?
Children 12 and 13 years old. Mathias Ker and Ariel Mateluna They gave birth to the Infante and Machuca respectively. For both of them it was their debut on the big screen and their first role, but only one of them continued his career in the world of cinema. Ker was never interested in the fame and glory that the film brought, which is a real phenomenon in Chile. However for Mateluna, making this film meant falling in love with acting.He said it was an eye-opener and a form of therapy.
Mateluna received an acting education and continued working in film and television. He regularly stars in TV series from his country, and we were recently able to see him in a Latin-Chilean film produced. Film narratorwith Antonio de la Torre; or in Veronicaan interesting proposal from Chilean independent cinema. Also in the film Neruda, available in RTVE Play. Although his great role was Machucaand now you can enjoy it on the platform.