"The Veil of Berta" is the delicate narration of the story of Berta Quintremán, an elderly indigenous woman who at the age of 88 leads the last group opposing the construction of the Ralco project, a gigantic dam that will stop the flow of the Bio-Bio River and flood the land where her native Pehuenche community, Ralco Lepoy, have lived for centuries. Berta, a woman with a strong personality and a unique blend of humor and energy, lives alone on her small piece of land, and observes all the traditions of her people. On a daily basis she greets the trees and the sun, takes mate (a typical herbal tea) with her dead and says prayers. At the same time she confronts the authorities of Endesa and the government, managing to halt the machinery and work together with other families to prevent the flooding of their land.

Awards:  

“Ramsar Award” for the Best Documentary, V Festival Ecofilms. 2005

Best Photography, Festival de Cine de Valparaiso. 2005

Special Mention, Festival Tre Continenti di Milano. 2005

Special Mention, Festival Clacpi ( Oaxaca, México). 2006

Screenings and Festival Competitions:

XVIII IDFA, Joris Ivens Competition. The Netherlands, 2004

XIV Fribourg International Film Festival. Switzerland, 2005

XVII Festival Tre Continenti di Milano. Italy, 2005

XIX Pärnu International Documentary and Anthropology Film Festival. Estonia, 2005

Etnia Film Festival. Finland, 2005

XX Rencontres du Cinéma d’Amerique Latine, Bordeaux. France, 2005

V Isola Cinema Film Festival. Slovenia, 2005

IV Festival des droits de l’homme de Paris. France, 2005

V Festival Ecofilms. Greece, 2005

Amnesty International Film Festival. Los Angeles-USA, 2005

I Festival de Cine Documental de Venezuela. 2005

VI Festival del Documental de Santiago, FIDOCS. Chile, 2005

VII Muestra Internacional de Cine Documental de Bogotá. Colombia, 2005

Golden Apricot Film Festival. Armenia, 2005

VI Festival DocBas. Argentina, 2005

VII Festival de Cine de Valparaíso. Chile, 2005

911 Power to the Peaceful Film Festival, San Francisco. USA, 2005

XVII Rencontres du Cinéma d’Amerique Latine, Toulouse. France, 2005

IX Forumdoc de Belo Horizonte. Brazil, 2005

XXXI Festival de Cine de Huelva. Spain 2005

IV “Insights into Women's Worlds” Film Festival. Tübingen, Germany 2005

XXIX Festival des 3 Continents. Nantes-France, 2005

Festival de Droits Humaines de Montreal, Canada. 2006

Rencontres du Cinéma d’Amerique Latine, Toulouse. France, 2006

Festival Internacional de Cine de Guadalajara, Mexico. 2006

Price
Institutional: $200.00
Home: $49.95