COLONIA

Germany, 2015, 106 minutes, Colour.
Emma Watson, Daniel Bruel, Michael Nyqvist, Richenda Carey.
Directed by Florian Gallenberger.

While there have been quite a number of films about Salvador Allende, his being president of Chile in the 1970s, then his overthrow by General Pinochet and the assassination leading not only to civil war but huge numbers of arrests, torturing, disappearances. American audiences may well remember the Jack Lemmon- Sissy Spacek story, Missing.

While the film opens with actual footage of Allende, the film soon moves into his assassination and the roundup of his supporters with subsequent imprisonment and torture.

The Colonia of the title refers to a property south of Santiago, set up for a sect by a German, Paul Schaffer, where he is the autocratic ruler with a strict and inhumane regime, separation between men and women, the complete separation of the young children who do not know their parents – and Schaffer organising the boys into a choir and conducting them while also sexually abusing them.

At the centre of the film is the German Daniel, Daniel Bruel, who designed a poster supporting Allende and takes part in protests in support of him. His girlfriend is a flight attendant, Lena, Emma Watson, who flies in the time of the protest, also at the time of the overthrow of Allende and she and Daniel have to flee, eventually rounded up in the sports stadium, he identified by a rigid prisoner, arrested and taken to be tortured, she deciding to try to find him and disguising herself and going to Colonia where she is accepted, lives the harsh life there, finds Daniel who is recovering from the torture, pretending to be brain affected while planning an escape and recovering his camera and the photos that he took of Colonia, its torture beds and tunnels. Schaffer (played by Michael Nyqvist) had hosted torture in the chambers underneath Colonia.

The film gives some attention to the harsh way of life, its inhumanity, Schaffer and his smooth manner but autocratic behaviour, especially misogynistic, as well as his assistant for looking after the women, Gisela, Richenda Carey.

Audiences may well be surprised at this story of Colonia – photos publicised at the time but nothing happening in Chile until the overthrow of Pinochet. Final information indicates that Schaffer was tried eventually and sentence to a long prison term.

1. A glimpse into the history of Chile in the 1970s? A picture of a cult and its leader, its way of life? And the connection with the Pinochet regime?

2. The title, the colony, the sect, the layout, the touch of the concentration camp, the huts, the interiors? The fields and the farm work? The subterranean tunnels? The torture chambers?

3. The newsreel footage of 1973, the political situation, Salvador Allende and his leadership, the hostility of the United States, the support of Russia? The supporters, the rallies? The military, the takeover, the death of Allende, Pinochet in charge? The soldiers on the streets, the initial arrests, being taken to the sports stadium, identification by the hooded prisoner, the arrests, interrogations and torture?

4. Lena, her background, flight attendant, the crew, landing in Santiago, the car, the rally, her seeing Daniel, getting out, the experience of the rally, Daniel on stage, giving out the leaflets, the other protesters? Her relationship with Daniel?

5. In the streets, the protests, the news of the military takeover, Lena and Daniel at home, the decision to flee, the crowds, the roundups? Lena and Daniel being taken to the stadium?

6. Daniel, his designing the pro-Allende poster, his arrest, transport, the vivid scenes of torture, electrodes to the testicles, to the brain? The effect on him, his swollen face? Paul Schaffer arriving and speaking in comforting tones? His being in Colonia? His work?

7. Lena, her decision, hearing about Colonia, her dress, entry, the encounter with Gisela? Sternness? The possessions, the dormitory and the beds? The strict discipline? Awakening in the morning, the assemblies, work allotments? The hard work in the fields, the bucket of water and her not being allowed to spill any drop? In the dormitory? Talking with the other girls? The engaged girl? The nurse?

8. Paul Schaffer, his appearance, having founded Colonia, the contact with the German Embassy and the ambassador later helping him to isolate Daniel and Lena? Autocrat? The religious language? The children, the choir, the going to the shower room, the abuse? The children not knowing their parents? The adults, the women separate, the hard work? The men, separate? The women being brought in, humiliated, insulted, physically beaten? The young woman and her thinking she was to marry though not seeing her fiance for three years?

9. Daniel, recovery, his pretending to be injured, given the job, his searching the rooms, the camera and the photos of the animals and the torture bed? Appearing at meetings? Seeing Lena? His discovery of the underground tunnels? The meetings with Lena, her peeling the potatoes, their talking, her going underground, the close calls with the authorities? The need for the escape? Lena in front of the men, humiliated, Daniel’s attempt and the session being interrupted?

10. Gisela, harsh, yet talking in a friendly way to Lena? Supervising her work, the peeling the potatoes, sending the nurse?

11. The nurse, knowing no other life, friendly with Lena? Hastening into the tunnel, unlocking the gate, having to swim through the pool, the nurse and her fear, getting entangled? The effect on Lena, blame?

12. Getting out, the nurse and her being killed? Lena, Daniel, the lift, into the city, to the German Embassy, the promise of safeguard, the drive to the airport, into the isolated room, Daniel and Lena and their getting out, seeing the troops arriving? In the terminal? The glass, Paul Schaffer and the others on one side, the hurrying? Contact with the plane and its departure, the friendship with the pilot? Their getting on board, his being told not to take off, Lena persuading him, escaping?

13. The information about Colonia, the photos taken, critique in other countries, nothing happening in Chile until the Pinochet was ousted? The information about Schaffer and his trial,
long imprisonment?

14. A different perspective on the years and Chile in the 1970s and 80s?