EL BOTÓN DE NÁCAR (THE PEARL BUTTON)

Patricio Guzmán uses a fascinating stream of images and narratives to create links between cosmology, indigenous mythology and the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile. His film reports on how a particularly cruel practice of the 20th century totalitarian regime came to light, as well as on colonial crimes against the original inhabitants of Chile. The waters of western Patagonia, which connect these events, are magically staged - and the indigenous cultures and languages are emphasized as something whose continued existence must be urgently ensured.