Some were surprised by last night’s announcement that Chile’s submission for the Best International Film Oscar was not Pablo Larrain’s “El Conde,” but rather Felipe Gálvez‘s “The Settlers.”
Some are speculating that the politics behind “El Conde” turned off the Chilean voting committee, but I don’t believe that. “The Settlers” has received a lot of praise ever since its Cannes debut, so it's not like they chose an obscure film.
In fact, “The Settlers” was one of the true finds of this year’s Cannes. Gálvez‘s neo-western followed three horsemen hired by a rich landowner to empty his land of its native population and open the route to the Atlantic. Nastily rendered violence collides with Chile’s shameful past, one which seems to have been completely erased from the history books.
On 05.24.23, MUBI acquired “The Settlers” for North American distribution. It’s set to screen at Telluride, TIFF and NYFF next month. I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes the Oscars shortlist for Best International Film. A nomination is not out of the question either.