Premiering at TIFF today is the Chilean drama Colonia starring Mikael Nyqvist, Emma Watson, and Daniel Brühl, which follows a young couple who become entangled in the Chilean military coup of 1973. Directed by Florian Gallenberger, the first fairly brief trailer has now landed, which sets up the main conflict without revealing too much.
THR posted an early review, saying, “Both Watson and Bruhl do what they can with what’s on offer, though their performances are hampered by all the flat dialogue, as well as by the film’s refusal to truly contextualize anything outside a few explanations in the opening and closing title cards. When one young nun is asked about Colonia, she answers that “there is nothing to understand.” Really? Perhaps it’s a language problem after all, though if anything should actually be said in Spanish here, it would probably be: ay, caramba!”
Also starring Richenda Carey, Vicky Krieps, August Zirner and Martin Wuttke, check out the trailer below.
TIFF’s official description:
A chilling historical thriller, Colonia stars Emma Watson and Daniel Brühl as lovers caught in the crossfire of a murderous military coup — and eventually interned in a dangerous cult’s compound from which there seems to be no escape.
Chile, 1973. Lufthansa flight attendant Lena (Watson) is in Santiago to visit her boyfriend, Daniel (Brühl), a talented graphic artist creating images in support of embattled President Salvador Allende. When Allende is violently ousted, General Augusto Pinochet’s forces begin rounding up dissidents. Daniel is taken to the remote stronghold of Colonia Dignidad (“Dignity Colony”), home to a secret agricultural commune and crypto-fascist sect led by sinister minister Paul Schäfer (Michael Nyqvist). Daniel is interrogated and tortured, but feigns severe mental deterioration to stay alive. Valiant and wily, Lena travels to Colonia and offers herself up to Schäfer as a follower. She is determined to find and free Daniel — but first she must ensure that she herself can survive Schäfer’s crushingly oppressive, viciously misogynistic practices.
A blood-curdling unease pervades Colonia, and we are unable to tear ourselves away. Vividly realized and briskly paced by director Florian Gallenberger (City of War: The Story of John Rabe), the film shifts seamlessly from love story to political drama to something akin to a horror movie, with Watson anchoring every sequence with her dynamic yet completely relatable central performance.
Colonia premiered at TIFF.
