Felipe Gálvez makes his directorial debut with '
The Settlers'. This Chilean masterpiece, already honored with the FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes and selected to represent Chile at the Oscars, immerses us in an atypical Western set in Tierra del Fuego in the late 19th century. Its theme? The
genocide of the indigenous Selk’nam people, a forgotten story that Gálvez revives with a captivating visual narrative so powerful that 'The Settlers' could be silent and still make an impact.
The plot follows three horsemen, including a mestizo, Segundo, and a British lieutenant, on a sinister mission under the orders of a landowner. The cinematography, led by Simone D’Arcangelo, is simply sublime, evoking landscapes more akin to Iceland than South America.
Gálvez, without being pedantic, tells us an essential story, not only for its plot but also for its critical view on how national histories are constructed. 'The Settlers' is not just cinema; it's a history lesson we all should learn.
