Machuca, one of the masterpieces of Chilean cinema, is now on RTVE Play

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.

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.

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.