My Imaginary Country

The great filmmaker Patricio Guzman has been using increasingly creative means to document political unrest in his native Chile since the military coup in 1973. In October 2019, he returned to witness an unexpected new revolution. One and a half million people demonstrated in the streets of Santiago for more democracy, a more dignified life, a better education, a better health system and a new Constitution. My Imaginary Country is an inspirational film about hope for real, positive social change in a time when basic rights and liberties are under threat across the globe.

Chile is a difficult and complicated country. What we mean by an imaginary country is that the future is not written, and these protestors are working towards a society that they would like and hope to see. It’s the future country that’s imaginary until it comes to pass. We wanted to concentrate on the voices of women because that is the big difference between the 1970s and today: the role of women in public life. Today, women are a central part of public life and their voice is important, and it was particularly essential in this movement.

Director Patricio Guzmán, from an interview with Cineuropa