NCLAFF: Los Colonos (The Settlers)

Introduced by Hank Okazaki, Screen/Society

Free and open to the public.

Dir. by Felipe Gálvez. Chile. 2023. 90 min. Spanish, English with English subtitles.

At the turn of the 20th century, three horsemen embark upon an expedition across the Tierra del Fuego archipelago at the behest of a wealthy landowner, tasked with securing his vast state-appointed property.

Accompanying a reckless British lieutenant and an American mercenary is mestizo marksman Segundo, who comes to realize, amidst rising tensions in the group, that their true mission is to murderously "remove" the indigenous population. Painterly yet piercing, this acclaimed frontier epic turns a bold eye to the past, daring to re-imagine its depiction in the present and for the future. Los Colonos is both written and directed by Chilean editor/filmmaker Felipe Gálvez , making his feature directorial debut, which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.