Crossing the Pacific: Chilean Voices in Australia
presented by Liverpool Regional Museum and Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre
60 Mins
CROSSING THE PACIFIC: CHILEAN VOICES IN AUSTRALIA (2023)
Producer/Director: MILENA SANHUEZA BEN-DAVID, CHILEAN BORN AUSTRALIAN BASED FILMMAKER (RECAPTURE PRODUCTIONS)
The empowering documentary ‘Crossing the Pacific: Chilean Voices in Australia’ features a community of Chilean elders in Australia coming together to reclaim and celebrate their shared history.
Documentary filmmaker, Milena Sanhueza Ben-David, unveils their stories and the untold story of her father's ordeal during the tumultuous aftermath of the 1973 Chilean Military Coup d'état resulting in a collective journey of discovery and remembrance.
Through candid and moving interviews, ‘Crossing the Pacific’ chronicles the pursuit of truth, resilience, and healing as they confront the shadows of the past, turning a legacy of pain into a testament of strength and unity.
Half a century later ‘Crossing the Pacific’ is a stirring tribute to the power of community, the resilience of the human spirit, and the transformative journey of reclaiming one's history.
The screenings are a featured program associated with the exhibition:
EXILIO (EXILED)
CHILE TO SOUTH-WEST SYDNEY
CURATED BY LIVERPOOL REGIONAL MUSEUM
The 1973 Chilean Military Coup d’état forced a whole generation into exile.
One of the darkest chapters in the history of Latin America caused thousands of Chileans to be kidnapped, tortured, disappeared and murdered. The military, commanded by General Pinochet and supported by the US, UK and Australian Governments, overthrew the democratically elected left-wing government of President Salvador Allende.
By 1981 more than 18,000 arrived in Australia after seeking refugee status with further waves throughout the 1980s. Many made their new home in Sydney’s western suburbs of Liverpool, Campbelltown and Fairfield.
Liverpool Regional Museum has commissioned Chilean born filmmaker Milena Sanhueza Ben-David (Recapture Productions) to create a series of video testimonials from the Chilean Community in Western Sydney.
The geopolitics leading up to the coup and generational after-effects of trauma and loss are presented in archives, artefacts and ‘Arpilleras’ – a communal folk-art process created by women which depict pictorial narratives and testimonies of protest in brightly coloured textiles. This is some of their stories.
This exhibition is officially supported by Consulado General de Chile en Sydney, Gobierno de Chile.
Screening Wednesday 18 September 2024 - Chilean Independence Day ‘Fiestas Patrias
Time: 11 AM - Crossing the Pacific: Chilean Voices in Australia (2023) followed by filmmaker Q & A
All Tickets: $5 + booking fees
