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Synopsis

Atacama Desert is the driest place on earth. For astronomers its high altitude and lack of humidity provide the ideal atmosphere to peer into space, to look into the past and attempt to answer questions about the origins of stars, galaxies and the universe. The desert also provides an exemplary climate for the work of archaeologists, as the dryness prevents rotting and mummifies specimens intact. Near the astronomers’ telescopes, which detect the oldest light in the universe, a group of women sift through the sand searching for any evidence of their loved ones. Hidden in the desert floors are the bones and body parts of the “disappeared” – remnants of the crimes of Pinochet’s dictatorship. By juxtaposing the quest of the astronomers with that of the grieving but determined women, Guzmán’s intimate and insightful documentary forces us to ask why, in a country where people are trying to determine what happened millions of light years ago, is there so much resistance to confronting the turmoil of the past forty years? What is most impressive about this articulate and moving film is the hope it inspires. We meet both professional and amateur astronomers working in a remarkable landscape. And we discover how the act of looking beyond ourselves, beyond our planet, can be both liberating and healing. The most powerful example is that of Valentina, the daughter of disappeared parents who was brought up by her grandparents from the age of one. She enlightens us with the profound and comforting notion that we, like the disappeared, are all essentially star dust.

A.P.

Wybrane nagrody i festiwale /Selected festivals and awards: 2010 – MFF Toronto/Toronto IFF.