Songs of Repression
Fortrængningens kunst
Directed by
Denmark
2020
90 min
- German
Documentary
At the foot of the Andes Mountains in Chile lies a small German colony and an idyllic tourist destination, covering an ugly prehistory of systematic abuse, medical experiments, slave-like working conditions and mass graves. In the colony, formerly called Colonia Dignidad, were some victims, some abusers, and some both. About 120 still live in the colony, which today has changed its name to Villa Baviera (Bavarian village), and a frightening mix of religious fanaticism and extreme conservatism continues to dominate. How Villa Baviera's residents relate to their shared past, however, is a question of vastly different answers in a dark film about abuse, group psychology and fascism, recorded over a year and a half with unusual access to the community of the German colony.
Awards
- Dox: Award - CPH:DOX
- Politiken: Danish: Dox Award - CPH:DOX
Festivals
Labels & Line Ups
Credits
- Editing
- Niels Pagh Andersen
- Production
- AUTLOOK FILMSALES
Press
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A rare example of a sober, considerate and nuanced treatment of a potentially incendiary subject.
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A poignant, sensitively handled documentary.
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Magical cinematic moments that are true to the tradition of cinema verité.
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The inhabitants of a small German colony in Chile once founded as a sectarian settlement, develop different narratives to cope with its grim and traumatic past.
Marianne Hougen-Moraga
Denmark
Marianne Hougen-Moraga is a documentary filmmaker graduated from Goldsmiths University in London. She has presented her films at several international festivals. She also had guest teachings and artist talks at the University of Westminster, the International Center of Photography in New York and the Danish School of Art Photography Fatamorgana in Copenhagen. She has recently directed the award nominated short documentary SEA OF SORROW, SEA OF HOPE (2017).
Estephan Wagner
Chile
Born in Viña del Mar, in Chile in 1976. He originally trained as an editor in Germany, and has edited numerous feature films and documentaries. He later earned a master’s degree in documentary filmmaking at the National Film and Television School in the UK. Latest release is LES SAUTEURS, which premiered at the Berlinale in 2016 and has played at more than 60 festivals and won 15 awards. Previous films INCLUDE WAITING FOR WOMEN (2008), THE FINISHING LINE (2009), VANISHING WORLDS (2011) and LAST DREAMS (2013).