Dawson Isla 10
Dawson Isla 10 is a 2009 Chilean drama film, written and directed by Miguel Littín, a Chilean film director. The screenplay is based on Isla 10, a book by Sergio Bitar about his experiences as a political prisoner; "Isla 10" was the substitute name their guards imposed him during his imprisonment.
| Dawson Isla 10 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Miguel Littín |
| Produced by | Miguel Littín Cristián de la Fuente Miguel Ioan Littín |
| Written by | Miguel Littín |
| Starring | Benjamín Vicuña Cristián de la Fuente Bertrand Duarte Pablo Krögh |
| Music by | Juan Cristóbal Meza |
| Cinematography | Miguel Ioan Littín |
Production company | Azul Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 117 minutes |
| Country | Chile |
| Language | Spanish |
| Budget | 2 million |
Plot
The 1973 Chilean coup d'état resulted in President Salvador Allende being overthrown and Augusto Pinochet coming to power in Chile. This film tells the story of the former members of Allende's cabinet, who were arrested and incarcerated in a political prison, specially designed as a concentration camp on Dawson Island, Tierra del Fuego. The camp had been used in the early 20th century to house Selk'nam and other indigenous peoples, moving them from the main island to end their interference with the large sheep ranches that had been established, as they persisted in hunting in their former territories.
In 1973 hundreds of other suspected communists and political dissidents were also imprisoned on Dawson Island by Pinochet's government. Under the strict control of the Chilean Navy, these men struggled to survive the freezing temperatures and harsh conditions.
Cast
- Benjamín Vicuña as Sergio Bitar
- Bertrand Duarte as Miguel Lawner
- Pablo Krögh as José Tohá
- Cristián de la Fuente as Teniente Labarca
- Sergio Hernández as Comandante Sallay
- Luis Dubó as Sargento Figueroa
- Caco Monteiro as Fernando Flores
- Horacio Videla as Dr. Arturo Jiron
- Matías Vega as Osvaldo Puccio
- Andrés Skoknik as Orlando Letelier
- Elvis Fuentes as Clodomiro Almeyda
- Sergio Allard as Aristóteles España
Submissions
The film was nominated for Best Spanish Language Foreign Film at the 24th edition of Goya Awards.