CHILEAN REVOLUTIONARY FILMMAKER LITTIN..75!

- Manoj Kulkarni

Veteran legendary Chilean filmmaker Miguel Littin.

When saw Chilean new film 'A Fantastic Woman' won this '90th Oscar's 'Best Foreign Language Film' award..I remembered Chilean legendary filmmaker Miguel Littin who is a pioneer of New Latin American Cinema!..He is 75 years old now!

Chilean filmmaker Miguel Littin directing!

Novelist & Screenwriter Miguel Ernesto Littin Cucumides directed his first film 'El Chacal de Nahueltoro' (1969) on the real story (of exploited & alcoholic farmer) which he wrote. This revolutionary Chilean film got international recognition and became the landmark of New Latin American Cinema!

Littin's revolutionary Chilean film 'El Chacal de Nahueltoro' (1969).

Then Miguel Littin was exiled in Mexico after Augusto Pinochet the dictator of Chile came to power! That time depicting the situation his film 'The Promised Land' (1973) was screened in international film festivals like Cannes and Moscow! Then he made several films in Mexico..like 'Oscar' nominated 'Letters from Marusia' (1976) based on a miners strike in Chile!

Littin's documentary 'Actas De Marusia' (1985).

Then Littin went to Nicaragua and directed Spanish film 'Alsino and the Condor' (1982) which won the Golden Prize at the '13th Moscow International Film Festival'. In 1984 he moved to Spain and decided to make a documentary on the condition of the Chile under the Pinochet regime..and 'Acta General de Chile' (1986) came out! On this 'Nobel' winner Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marques wrote the book 'Clandestine in Chile: The Adventures of Miguel Littin'!

Miguel Littin's film 'La Ultima Luna' (2005).

After that he returned to Chile and made films like 'Los naufragos' (1994) and 'Tierra del Fuego' (2000) on group of political prisoners! Apart from making films..during 1992-94 & 1996-2000 he was the Mayor of his home town Palmilla!

Chilean legendary filmmaker Miguel Littin!

I still remember interacting with Miguel Littin in our 'International Film Festival of India', 1997 held at Trivandrum!


All the best with good health..Mr. Littin!


- Manoj Kulkarni
['Chitrasrushti', Pune, India]