The dictatorship ended with the election of Patricio Aylwin in 1990, but Pinochet continued to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the Army until 1998. Other state-sponsored violence during this time included Chile’s infamous detention centers like Colonia Dignidad - an isolated colony formed by German Nazis where dissidents were tortured, forced into hard labor, and murdered. But the most common torture mechanism employed during the era of Pinochet was “disappearing” dissidents by holding them in secret bunkers where they were subjected to such abuses and never seen again. Olderöck herself was known for raping prisoners by unleashing her dog, Volodya, onto them (among other forms of abuse). “Torture” under Pinochet included everything from waterboarding and electric shocks to extreme beatings and even rape. It also led a campaign of imprisonment, torture, harassment, and murder against perceived dissidents. Pinochet’s junta dissolved the Congress, suspended the 1925 constitution, and banned all leftist parties. During this time, the country was ruled by a military junta, headed by General Augusto Pinochet.
The dictatorship began in 1973 with the military’s overthrow of then-president Salvador Allende and lasted 17 years.
Pigs vs wolves movie full#
Understanding the full scope of Chile’s fascist period is essential to understanding the significance of its animation industry’s growth. These are the aforementioned Bestia, 2014’s Oscar-winning short Bear Story, and 2018’s The Wolf House - a feature-length horror dubbed “one of the darkest animated movies ever made.” Though they are quite different from each other in genre, production, and visual style, all three films reckon with the country’s darkest period in modern history, taking full advantage of the medium’s narrative capabilities to chilling effect. It’s only upon reading more about the Latin American country that you discover that the film is based on a real person: Íngrid Olderöck, a secret police agent who was responsible for many human rights violations during Augusto Pinochet’s infamous rule.Ĭhile has become one of the most distinguished exporters of Latin American animation over the last few years, with much of the recognition geared towards (but not limited to) three major films. As is the case with most silent animation, the film’s strong visual narrative spells out the main takeaways for viewers you don’t need to know anything about Chile’s history to understand that this takes place during an oppressive regime - perhaps someplace in South America, going by a Spanish newspaper clipping that appears later. Very quickly did I realize it was going to have something to do with the country’s military dictatorship. When I rented Bestia on Vimeo to catch up on the 94th Academy Award nominees in January, I went into the film knowing nothing, except that it was a Chilean production. These include a quotidian breakfast, an office job at what appears to be some kind of law enforcement agency, trips to an underground bunker where she forces the dog onto prisoners, evening cunnilingus between the two, and - finally - some distressing nightmare sequences to end the day.
Whatever it is, it’s letting us know that we’re up for something far more sinister than the cutesy character designs of Covarrubias’ stop-motion figurines would suggest.įrom there, the next 14 minutes of Bestia consist of the porcelain lady and her canine going about their daily routines. Or maybe it’s the ominous score, which begins as the film’s title appears over her head, against the pale blue sky.
Maybe it’s the doll’s blank, expressionless face. When paused, director Hugo Covarrubias’ dwarfish compositions form a pretty picture, but there’s something very unsettling about his objects in motion. Our porcelain protagonist and her fluffy German Shepherd stand atop a green hill, facing each other from opposite sides of the frame, when she throws a twig for the dog to retrieve. The story of 2021’s Annecy-winning short film Bestia begins with a game of fetch. Content warning: This piece includes descriptions of torture and sexual assault.
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