简介：October5,1974:InthesuburbsofSantiago,pregnantCarmenisbadlyinjuredandherpartnerMiguel,headoftheresistanceagainstPinochet'sdictatorship,iskilledincombat.Sobeginsajourneyintothememoriesofthedefeated... AdocumentaryaboutaleftistactivistcomingbacktoChilefromexile.OldharrowingmemoriescomebacktomindalongwithfearsoffindingasubmissiveChilethatdoesn'tfitintheidealstheystruggledfor,sotriggeringmixedfeelingsandasensationoflostbattle. Oneofthemomentsfeaturesavisittotheplaceshelivedinwithherhusband,afamousMIRleader,whowasshotdeadinapoliceraidaftershegotseriouslywoundedalmostcausinghertodie.Amidflashbacksandfootagefromsomedecadesago,formerpartycomradesandneighboursareinterviewed,soconjuringupaspectsandemotionsrelatedtoexile,formerleftistactivismintheMIR,frustrations,ordeals,unaccomplishedgoalsandnewhopes. Thedurationisratherlong,butonedoesn'tgetthatimpression,itcapturestheattention,makingthevisionofthefilmsmooth. CarmenCastillowasthecomradeandloverofMiguelEnriquez,headoftheMIR(MovimientodeIzquierdaRevolucionaria/MovementoftheRevolutionaryLeft)thatspearheadedtheChileanrevolutionthatledtotheelectionofthesocialistSalvadorAllendeinSeptember1970.MoststudentsofcontemporaryhistoryknowthatonSeptember11th1973Pinochet'sbrutalmilitarycoupfollowedbythedeathofAllende,massivelooting,decadesoftorture,imprisonmentanddisappearances,alongwiththedestructionofsocialsyndicatesandorganizations. SomeMIRleaderswentunderground,includingEnriquez,Castillo,thenpregnant,andtwolittledaughters,wholivedinapeacefulsuburbofSantiago.Then,onOctober5,1974,policecametowheretheywerelivingonCalleSantaFe.Enriquezdied.Castillowasshotandseriouslywounded;latershelostthechildshewascarrying,butaneighbor,Manuel,calledanambulanceandtookhertothehospital,whereshewassaved. CastillowasarrestedandheldafterherrecoverybutthenexpelledfromChile.Afterdriftingfromcountrytocountryforabit,shesettledinFrance. ResistancegrewinthelateSeventiesandearlyEighties,butMIRwasdissolvedofitsownaccordin1985,andthingshavebeendifferentsincethereturnoff"democracy"in1990. Anyway,Castillo'slongfilm(163minutes)chroniclesallthis,withrichtexturecreatedthroughtestimonybyfellowMIRleaderswhoeitherneverleftorreturnedsometimeintheEighties;throughfootagefromtheSeventies,Eighties,andNineties;andthroughachroniclingofCastillo'srecentreturnvisitstoCalleSantaFe,whereshemeetspeoplewhoknewher,eventhemanwhotookhertothehospital.Shealsorevisitsherfamilyandhasdiscussionswithherfather,aboutwhomshemadea2004documentary,'LeChilidemonpère'/'TheChileofMyFather.'Oneofthesubjectsthatcomesupiswhetheritwasrightforanyoftheleftistleaderstoleave,abandoningthepeopletheyhadchampionedtothedespotismofAugustoPinochetandhisthugs.HavingnotonlygoneelsewherebutlivedwhenMIR'sleaderdiedbesideher,Castillonodoubtwastroubledbysurvivorguiltofseveralkinds.SinceshehadnotgoneonwiththingsinChile,someofthetraumaswerefrozeninsideher. ThismaynotbethebestwayofreviewingthetotalityofChile'srecenthistory,butit'sanemotionallyconvincingandinvolvingway.Thepeopleinthisfilmareimpressivefrommanypointsofview--fortheircourage,theirdignity,theirlanguage,andaboveallfortheirenduringidealism,whichhasneverdiedandhasbeenpassedontoyoungergenerationsinChile.OfcourseCastilloherselfisobsessed.Shehassomelettinggotodo.HercampaigntohavethehouseonCalleSantaFepurchasedandturnedintosomekindofstudycenterofshrinedoesn'tappealtoyoungerleftists.Finallysheiscontentwithasmallgatheringwhenaplaqueiscementedintothesidewalkinfrontofthehouseandoneofthesurvivingleaders(nearlyallofwhomunderwentimprisonmentandtortureandstillhavereturned)sayssomewordsofpoetry.There'snotmuchhumorhere,butthereistremendoushopeandmuchemotion. Notatheatricalpossibilityinthiscountryduetoitslength,butveryworthwhileforanyoneinterestedinleftistpoliticsandrevolutionandmodernLatinAmericanhistory. ShownonlyonceattheNYFF2007.…