My Imaginary Country

One of the finest nonfiction filmmakers in the world, Patricio Guzmán is celebrated for poetic and philosophical ruminations on his native Chile, like Nostalgia for the Light (2010) and The Pearl Button (2015). But the octogenarian’s latest takes us back to the first phase in his career, the fervid reportage of The Battle of Chile (1975-1979), his account of the military coup which deposed his friend and comrade, President Allende. If you haven’t been paying close attention to recent events there, My Imaginary Country will come as a welcome surprise. It’s that rare thing, a good news story about a popular uprising of the Left.

Guzmán, who has lived in exile in France for most of his career, admits to surprise himself, tracing the roots of the protests back to—of all things—transit fare hikes in 2019. Cut to just a couple of months later, and over a million people congregate in the capital, Santiago, to demand change. This was a radically expansive movement, suspicious of political parties, and energized overwhelmingly by women. Their fundamental demand: a new constitution. In an ideal world, this stirring tribute to people power would be shown in schools—and everywhere else.