Patagonia Aysen Film Festival, dams opinions and repression.
These are the first days after the winter time change, the sunset is dark and the sunrise is bright. From home I can see the Mackay, the city of Coyhaique and the surrounding hills. The snow is moving forward, the inauguration day was snowing near the city for a long time.
An anxious feeling was enveloping the city, the next days are fundamental, a commission was voting the Mega Dams Project of HidroAysen. I have been talking with local and foreign people, almost all of them are against the dams.
The slogan of the Third Film Festival of Patagonia Aysen 2011, “nature and social movements” is precise. Conversation, debate, the exploration of new realities, the foment of a healthy and conscious environment, a respectful attitude with the Earth and society, were the target of this festival.
I felt that the people were afraid, but, why? of what?
Days are passing, documentaries, news, town gatherings, and reactions from a society in which the people has been highly bounded during the years, they are full of traditions, nature and culture to hang on to.
Evidence on documentaries of Elena Varela (Newen Mapuche), Guido Brevis (Aniceto, Razon de Estado), Brian Lilla (Patagonia Se Levanta) or Carmen Castillo (El Tesoro de América), left concerns, exalted awareness and fomented the role of people taking social and ambiental decisions which concern them all. They are exposing the emerging social movements confronting economic and governmental conglomerates, and the thin line that separates the latter.
The festival was ending, meanwhile people from the regional government was giving the green light to the dams, deforestation, aquifer destruction, ocean deprivation, end of tradition.
In the streets families, children and grandparents were waiting for the decision, they were concerned that the government was ready to approve the project, the interior minister said: “HidroAysen is good for the country” (“Para el pais seria bueno que se apruebe HidroAysen”). Despite this, people was still full of hope.
During the screening of Patagonia se Levanta (Patagonia Rising) lots of people were vigorously claiming their opinion and concern about the HidroAysen project. The documentary shows inhabitants from the Pascua and Baker rivers, their stories and lifestyle. The inhabitants display a completely different vision of Chile, with their particular dreams and local/global vision of the world. The Director of Endesa (corporation that owns the HidroAysen project) is shown talking about how ‘sustainable’ and ‘friendly’ the project is. It also shows technical explanations form researchers members of institutes, ONG’s and universities talking about their research and how the dams will damage a whole ecosystem and its unique biodiversity.
On the streets the demonstration was taking place with musicians and drums, dancers and flags. Expectation, peaceful waiting… Suddenly, like a dam in the middle of the forest, when the government representatives approved the project, the peace was broken. Security forces…
… that dam was temporary, is flowing now, its fighting against the limits and the oppression.
Guanaco (water canon), tear gas, children and adults, all together. Downtown was empty, either you were in the gas station soaked (where the resistance was taking place) or you were on your way to the police station under arrest or later going to liberate your beloved. On my way to the police station I stop at the film festival closing ceremony. The theater was in a deeply saddened state, but something was (and still is) in the air, a new feeling of re-vindication, impotence and sadness are going to be a new force to propose new alternatives and alliances to give a chance to the fertile and fragile Earth, as well as us and coexist without a terrible ending.
The music again, Boca Seca (patagonian band) and Richard Sepulveda (patagonian songwriter/singer ) opened the journey. We were few people in the cinema, some of us crying. It hurts. All the people in the stage were talking about how they reject the idea of the mega dams project. They know this project will destroy a fluvial and biodiverse zone, they are against easy money for the rich.
The organization showed repudiation for HidroAysen. Marcelo Becerra, film festival director, talked about how difficult was going to be closing the festival, but we need to take this as an opportunity and we need to do all that we can to stop the mega project and generate new alternatives.
The producers of “Patagonia Rising” were on the stage to receive an award, Fernanda Bozzolo could not speak, she was crying, Jonathan Leidich was calling to fight on this war.
It was a cold night, it was raining. At the police station, people outside were asking for justice. Cookies & friends. We were waiting, small conversations about the day and how the demonstration was, plans, they are creating, they need a good one to stop this project and others that are threatening our lands. Aysen is full of live, it is a festival of ideas and strength for all of us in Chile.
Photo: Fernanda Bozzolo y Jonathan Leidich, Patagonia Se Levanta
Winers Festival de Cine de la Patagonia, Aysen Chile 2011.
Documentary: Aniceto, Razon de Estado (Guidro Brevis)
Patagonia Region: Patagonia Se Levanta (Brian Lilla)
Special award: Mocha (Guillermo Ribbeck)
Short (film): Hijo’e Puta (Carola Quezada)
Special awards: Ley del Hielo (Sebastián Pose / Ignacio Rodríguez), La Sombra de las Palabras (Sebastián Sabelle), El Terrible temido cuco (Angélica Guerra)
Photos and videos about Aysen anti-dams Demonstrations:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeckafou/sets/72157626687307520/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeckafou/sets/72157626560521889/
More info about the festival: www.patagoniavisual.cl
Spanish version at www.revista.escaner.cl/node/4967
