“The Red Hangar”, a compelling Chilean debut
A lovely surprise at the cinema: Juan Pablo Sallato’s debut film, presented at this year’s Berlinale, is a real standout
A debut film that leaves no one indifferent: there is no other way to describe *L’hangar rosso*, the debut feature by Chilean director Juan Pablo Sallato, which was screened in the Perspectives section at this year’s Berlinale.
Set in Chile, on a fateful day such as that of the 1973 military coup: during these turbulent hours, Captain Jorge Silva, former head of Air Force intelligence, is tasked with transforming the Academy where he is training young cadets into a detention and torture centre. As the hangars fill with prisoners and the repression grows ever more brutal, Silva finds himself at a crossroads: should he obey orders and support the new regime, or disobey and help those fighting for their lives?
This question forms the basis of a narrative that skilfully prompts us to reflect on the protagonist’s ethical and moral dilemmas: a co-production between Chile, Argentina and Italia (with Rain Dogs, Berta Film and Caravan representing Italia), “The Red Hangar” is a journey into the past, yet one that speaks powerfully to the present as well, directly engaging the audience in the questions the main character asks himself.
Inspired by real events and based on the book *Disparen a la bandada* by Fernando Villagrán, *The Red Hangar* tells the story of men caught up in the machinery of military power at the very moment when history forces them to choose which side to take.
A remarkable photograph
Although reading the plot may certainly bring to mind the films of a master of contemporary cinema such as Pablo Larraín, Juan Pablo Sallato has nevertheless already developed his own personal style; at times it feels slightly raw due to a few overly academic passages, but he is nonetheless able to demonstrate his talent in managing editing rhythms and in numerous highly refined shots.
