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TIERRA DEL FUEGO
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Chile - Italy - Spain
2000 / 35 mm / Color / 108 min.
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In the last moments of the 19th century, Julius Popper stands in front of the Santiago Cathedral. Four decades earlier the Romanian-born engineer took possession of Tierra del Fuego for Queen Carmen Sylva of Romania. Now he is nobody, an impoverished old man. He recounts the details of his life. His story begins in 1850s when he arrives in the frontier town of Punta Arenas with pockets full of gold. He brandishes his money to entice a band of locals to follow him along the southern shores of the continent in search of gold. Armenia, the local madam, also comes under Popper's spell and she agrees to finance the expedition. They set off for the cold, inhospitable south, using captured Indians as slaves to drag the sea for gold and the frontier men as a colonizing army. Popper does find some gold, which he uses to mint coins in his image. The Indians are brutally treated. In the name of civilization Popper does with them what he pleases, though he has a mystical respect for their beautiful young queen, Mennar. Come the rainy season, however, and Popper's men begin to grumble. Popper turns on those who complain but the Indians are also growing restless and before long Popper has a full-scale rebellion on his hands.
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Script: Luis Sep�lveda, Miguel Littin, Tonino Guerra. D'apr�s un r�cit de/Based on a story by: Francisco Coloane. Et par les journaux de voyage de/And by the travel diaries of: Julius Popper.
Phot.: Giuseppe Lanci.
Ed.: Ernest Blasi.
Mus.: Milladoro, Angel Parra.
Cast: Jorge Perugorr�a, Ornella Muti, Nelson Villagra, Claudio Santamar�a, Nancho Novo, �lvaro Rudolphy, T�mara Acosta.
Prod.: Surf Film, s.r.l., via Padre G.A. Filippini 30, 00144 Rome (Italie), t�l.: (39-06) 526 21 01, fax: (39-06) 529 38 16, e-mail: [email protected] / Buenaventura Films/ Castelao.
Sales: Raitrade, via Novaro 18, 00195 Rome (Italie), t�l.: (39-06) 374 981, fax: (39-06) 370 13 43, e-mail: [email protected].
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Miguel Littin
Miguel Littin was born in Palmilla, Chile in 1942 and studied theatre at the University of Chile. In 1963 he began working for a local television channel, eventually becoming its production manager. In the '60s he taught film at the University of Chile and in 1973 he moved to Mexico where he continued to teach film, this time at the Mexican National University, and directed several films. He returned to Chile in 1985. His filmography includes: EL CHACAL DE NAHUELTORO (1969), THE PROMISED LAND (1973), ACTAS DE MARUSIA (1976), EL RECURSO DEL M�TODO (1978), THE MONTIEL WIDOW (1979), ALSINO Y EL CONDOR (1982), ACTA GENERAL DE CHILE (1985), SANDINO (1989) and LOS N�UFRAGOS (1994) |
