The film Abisal, shot in Puerto Montt, is the only Chilean production selected for the event. It has had an extensive festival trajectory, recognized as the Best Short Film at the 19th annual Cinelebu, and has formed part of the official selection at prestigious national and international events like Curta Cinema, Sanfic 15, and Antofacine.

Abisal, produced and directed in the south of Chile, was one of 80 films selected to participate at Clermont Ferrand International Film Festival, the biggest short film event in the world. It is also France’s second biggest event dedicated to cinema, after Cannes.

The festival will take place from January 31 to February 9 this year. The Chilean short film is the only national production that will participate in the event.

Abisal narrates a day in the life of Celso, a poor, defeated writer who submerges himself in the dilapidated streets of Puerto Montt. The film explores the anguish of those who are displaced in a society that invisibilizes anything causing discomfort, whether because it’s grotesque, vulgar, or merely out of discrimination.

The production is based on poems by writer and Maullín native Nino Morales and is directed by Puerto Varas filmmaker Esteban Santana Guerrero. Regarding the film, Santana comments, “It’s the honest reflection of the cinematic and artistic resistance that exists provincially; we inhabit and create out of [non-centralized] territories. Whenever the South of Chile is depicted, there’s a lack of investigation; it’s a ‘retouched’, romantic, idyllic version. The South isn’t like that, folks.”

The short was funded without public grants and under a collaborative production model. It was the result of a great minga (traditionally a project realized collectively by a social group, usually compensated by a large banquet), where the artistic guilds and collectives, neighborhood co-ops, bars, and brothels of the city intersected. It had private contributions and from local commerce; it was a joint project by local production companies Orgasmar, Oso Films, and Blooming Films, distributed by Infractor Films.

You can watch the official trailer of Abisal here. For more information, you can also check out the short film’s Facebook page.