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Release and Oscar selection of Manuela Martelli’s El Deshiel

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2026-09-04 02:57 UTC → 2026-09-12 09:16 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Chilean director Manuela Martelli has prepared the release of her new film, ‘El Deshielo’ (also referred to as ‘Dégel’), which is scheduled for a theatrical release in Chile on September 3 following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Set in the Chilean Andes during the early 1990s, the suspense drama follows a nine-year-old girl named Inès, played by Maya O’Rourke, living at a ski resort. The plot transitions from a coming-of-age story into a thriller centered on the disappearance of a teenage German ski athlete named Hanna. The film uses this mystery to explore the lingering trauma of the Chilean dictatorship and the ‘omerta’ maintained by adults during the country’s transition to democracy, illustrating how the crimes of the military regime continue to surface beneath a facade of stability. Martelli utilizes the specific historical context of 1992—including Chile’s presentation of an Antarctic ice block at the Universal Exposition in Seville, Spain—to symbolize the attempt to ‘freeze’ or cover up the past. Following its release, ‘El Deshielo’ has been selected to represent Chile at the Academy Awards. The film is noted for its atmospheric direction and its ability to reflect broader political tensions through intimate, domestic narratives, using the isolation of the snowy landscape to contrast a serene environment with emerging hidden truths. Recently, the film has been highlighted as part of a broader wave of Chilean cinema gaining international attention at film festivals. The work continues to be recognized for its exploration of disappearance and the social facades maintained by local figures to protect the reputation of established institutions.

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