Marking the 50th anniversary of the Chilean coup. A group of people come together in the Welsh town of Machynlleth to produce “El sueño existe” (The dream lives on), a festival of politics and culture.
This is the subject of Pablo Navarrete and Teilo Vellacott’s short doc Fragments Of A Dream, presented as part of a Latin American docs double-bill at London’s Rich Mix, one of a series of events that mark the 50th anniversary of the Chilean Coup d’ Etat.
Pablo had attended the festival a few times, but the shoot was Teilo’s first time on the ground. They are absent from the film itself and instead choose to turn their cameras towards very entertaining and endearing figures, such as festival creative director Tony Corden, captured chatting to the crowds, interacting with volunteers, singing…
The film includes speeches by Dr Francisco Dominguez, who very eloquently briefs the crowd on the history of US interference in Latin American politics and Jeremy Corbyn celebrating the spirit of Victor Jara, the musician, theatre director and activist murdered by the Pinochet dictatorship and in whose name the festival is celebrated.
The doc offers an engaging and charming glimpse into the event, which champions peace and the human spirit in such an optimistic and uplifting way.
Of course, music is at the heart of it and we are treated to moments from the Sagrada Family’s concert.
The screening featured a post-film discussion with Dr Dominguez, Phaxsi Coca (Sagrada Family) and the two filmmakers. We recorded it for those of you who couldn’t attend and would like to find out more about the panellists’ work and journeys, the festival and the situation in Chile. The recording ends on a entrancing bit of live music by Phaxsi!
The screening was organised by Alborada – a magazine providing a progressive look at Latin American culture, arts and politics and their film arm, Alborada Films – and Movimientos, an organisation that hosts cultural and artistic Latin American events.
Do write to us if you’d like to reach out to anyone involved.
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