El Edificio de Los Chilenos

As a fan of documentaries, and a self-professed docunerd, it bugs me when people say that docs are boring. I get it. A lot of them are just a bunch of interviews or archival footage that makes them hard to watch and dare I say it, un poco aburrido. But, telling a story that happened in the past doesn’t have to be just talking heads. Once in a while, a filmmaker finds an innovative way to structure their doc, using striking imagery, narration, or creative editing–in combination with interviews. Such is the case with El Edificio de los Chilenos (The Chilean Building) which will play at the Maysles Cinema starting Monday, August 13. It’s a personal and touching look at a unique moment in Chile’s history that many people–including Chileans themselves–don’t know about. Por favor, go see this peli!

[insert-video youtube=saqKIP_Y_kg]

At the end of the 1970’s, the militants of Movimiento de Izquierda Revolucionaria (MIR), exiled in Europe, decided to return to Chile in order to support the fight against the Pinochet dictatorship. Many had children they were forced to leave behind. It was then that the idea of a communal living space to shelter these children was born. Project Home gathered 60 kids who were left in the care of ‘social parents’ who assumed the responsibility of their upbringing for years to come. This is their remarkable story.

The Maysles Cinema was founded by legendary documentarian Albert Maysles (Grey Gardens, Salesman, Gimme Shelter). This non-profit theater in Harlem is dedicated screening documentaries.