Patricio Guzmán
¿Un pais que no tiene cine documental
es como una familia sin album de fotografias¿
(Patricio Guzmán)

Patricio Guzmán was born in Santiago, Chile in 1941.
He studied at the Escuela Oficial de Cinematografía in Madrid and devoted his whole career to documentary film-making. His films are regularly selected and awarded prizes at international film festivals.
In 1972 he shot "El primer año", about the early months of Allende¿s government (with an introduction by Chris Marker). In 1973 he filmed "La batalla de Chile", a 5 hour documentary on the demise of Allende, with a contribution from Chris Marker.
After the coup d¿état, Guzmán was arrested while at home and threatened with being shot. He was taken to the national stadium where he was interrogated, but two weeks later was released with thousands of other prisoners. Guzmán fled the country with all his film material.
Between 1975 and 1985 "La batalla de Chile" was shown around the world. Jorge Müller Silva, the film¿s cameraman, was arrested and tortured by the Pinochet police and to date what eventually happened to him is still unknown.
Patricio Guzmán returned to Chile in 1986 to film "En nombre de Dios", about the defence of human rights as practised by the Catholic Church in opposition to Pinochet (Grand-Prix Florence). In 1992 he directed "La cruz del sur", about the devoutness of the masses in Latin America (Grand-Prix Marseilles). In 1997 he again returned to Chile to produce "La memoria obstinada", about the political amnesia in Chile (Grand-Prix Tel Aviv). In 2001 he directed "El caso Pinochet", about the sentence passed on the ex-dictator in London (Golden Gate Award, San Francisco). In 2004 he made "Salvador Allende" (Official Selection at Cannes). He is currently shooting a documentary on Jules Verne.
He teaches documentary film-making in Europe and Latin America and has founded and directs the Festival Documental de Santiago (FIDOCS). He lives in Paris.
 

Patricio Guzmán's documentary films
 

• THE BATTLE OF CHILE I-II-III
• IN THE NAME OF GOD
• THE SOUTHERN CROSS
• PEOPLE ON THE BRINK
• CHILE, THE OBSTINATE MEMORY
• ROBINSON CRUSOE ISLAND
• THE PINOCHET CASE
• MADRID
• SALVADOR ALLENDE
• MY JULES VERNE

  
  Patricio Guzmán interviewing bishop Casaldáliga in the Matto Grosso, Brazil

  
  Patricio Guzmán with a group of "Mexicas" in the Mexico City Museum of Anthropology