- Cast: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Néstor Cantillana, Luis Gnecco, Sergio Hernández, Alejandro Goic, Jaime Vadell, Marcial Tagle, Pascal Montero, Diego Muñoz, Roberto Farías, Manuela Oyarzún, Elsa Poblete, Claudia Cabezas, Paulo Brunetti, Gabriela Medina, Malucha Pinto, César Arredondo, Paloma Moreno, Patricio Achurra
- Director: Pablo Larraín
- Writers: Pedro Peirano, Antonio Skármeta
- Producers: Juan de Dios Larrain, Daniel Dreifuss
- Associate Producer: Associate Producer
- Executive Producers: Jeff Skoll, Jonathan King
- Art Direction: Estefania Larrain
- D.O.P.: Sergio Armstrong
- Editor: Andrea Chignoli
Storyline
2Based on a true story. Military dictator Augusto Pinochet calls for a referendum to decide his permanence in power in 1988, the leaders of the opposition persuade a young daring advertising executive - René Saavedra - to head their campaign. With limited resources and under the constant scrutiny of the despot's watchmen, Saavedra and his team conceive of a bold plan to win the election and free their country from oppression.
Basic Information
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Filming Locations: Santiago, Chile
- MPAA Warning: Language
- Production Companies: Fabula, Participant Media, Funny Balloons, Canana Films
Featured Articles
Trivia
2013 Guide Analysis: "One of the five films nominated for this year's foreign language Oscar, this Chilean historical drama/political satire has already drawn acclaim at the various festivals it has played. It also won the top prize at the Directors' Fortnight section at Cannes. Based on both real events and a play by Antonio Skármeta, the story is set in Chile in 1988 when military dictator Augusto Pinochet calls for a referendum on his presidency after bowing to international pressure.
Opposition leaders persuade a brash young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra (Gael Garcia Bernal), to spearhead their campaign to vote 'No' to Pinochet's rule. This comes as the boss of his advertising agency is busy working on the 'Yes' campaign. With scant resources and constant scrutiny by the despot’s watchmen, Saavedra and his team devises an audacious plan to win the election and free their country from oppression.
The film essentially deals with one of the earliest moments in history when advertising tactics came to be widely used in political campaigns. Filmmaker Pablo Larraín made one unusual choice with the movie - shooting the entire thing on low definition Sony U-matic magnetic tape - the same film stock that television news in Chile used in the period. While it's jarring to some, it allows the modern shot scenes to fit in perfectly with actual footage of democratic rallies and police crackdowns.
Reviews praised the attention to detail regarding the period recreation, and the engaging plot which turns the scrutiny of advertising in on itself. Set for a limited theatrical release on February 15th in the United States, just a week or two before it gets a promo push at the Oscars (which it is expected to lose to "Amour"), the film will hopefully gain traction when it hits the disc and VOD market."
