About

Presented in conjunction with the exhibition 'Earth and Elsewhere: Contemporary Works from the Collection' at GOMA.

The Australian Cinémathèque presents a retrospective of the works of acclaimed Chilean filmmaker Patricio Guzmán. Guzmán's Nostalgia for the Light, included in the 'Earth and Elsewhere' exhibition, unites the desire to connect with the past by balancing nostalgia and memory. Filmed in the remote Atacama Desert, the documentary depicts astronomers studying the stars, archaeologists examining pre-Colombian artefacts, and women searching for loved ones assassinated during Pinochet's dictatorship. Guzmán came into prominence in the 1970s with The Battle of Chile (1972-79), his documentary trilogy recounting Pinochet's coup. This landmark film established him as one of the leading voices in South American cinema, and part of an independent movement of politically active filmmakers who questioned and defined the historical moment through the possibilities of cinema. Guzmán famously asserted 'a country without documentary film is like a family without a photo album'. He has created films that explore the modern history of Chile – from Salvador Allende's attempts to establish democratic socialism in the early 1970s, the ensuing military coup in 1973, and the rule of the military junta until 1990.

Film notes written by the Harvard Film Archive to support the retrospective program 'History, Memory, Cinema -The Documentary Vision of Patricio Guzmán'. Program curated by José Da Silva, Australian Cinémathèque.

List of Works

• La Batalla de Chile: Primera parte – La insurreción de la burguesía (The Battle of Chile: Part One – The Insurrection of the Bourgeoisie) 1975
• La batalla de Chile: Segunda parte – El Golpe de Estado (The Battle of Chile: Part Two – The Coup D'etat) 1976
• La batalla de Chile: Tercera parte – El Poder Popular (The Battle of Chile: Part Three – The Power of the People) 1978
• Chile, La Memoria Obstinada (Chile, Obstinate Memory) 1997
• Isla de Robinson Crusoe (Robinson Crusoe Island) 1999
• El Caso Pinochet (The Pinochet Case) 2001
• Madrid 2002
• Salvador Allende 2004
• Nostalgia de la luz (Nostalgia for the Light) 2010