This November 14th it opens in movie theaters Winter Howl, one of the two winning films of the Chilean film competition in the latest edition of Sanfic; the other was The fabulous gold harvesting machineby Alfredo Pourally. The film, directed and written by Matias Rojasintertwines documentary and fiction to tell the story of surviving elbows from Colonia Dignidad.
The film addresses the life of IngridGerman, and FranzChilean, both survivors of Colonia Dignidadwho live in an isolated place in Patagonia with the sole purpose of living in the present and with the memory of the past that was taken from them. The director decided to use the narrative of cinema and include a fictional story within the film. At the same time, the story of a woman who seeks to redeem her guilt is told (Paulina Garcia), linked to the horrors of this dark chapter in Chile’s recent history.
The director had already addressed Colonia Dignidad in his previous film, A place called Dignitya fiction in which a 12-year-old boy receives a scholarship to attend the mysterious and isolated school established by Germans in Chile, called Colonia Dignidad. Matias Rojas explains that the reason for making a second film with a similar theme responds to the first line of the film: “How can we tell a story so that it will never be forgotten?”
The story found me in the investigation of the previous film through the lawyer Hernán Fernández. I traveled to meet them (Ingrid and Franz), at that time they lived in another place and from the beginning an increasingly close friendship relationship where through their generosity towards their story they gave me information about the years they lived in Cologne Dignity. I found the story very interesting in that they told me a phrase that kept coming back to me: they lived in the present the past that they had no way of living.
From the beginning, the idea of this film had to do with not showing anything about Colonia Dignidad, nor its places, nor getting directly closer to the story itself. What we wanted was to focus on the relationship of the characters, both in the documentary story and in the small fictional story within the film, exploring how the characters face their past in the present.
I knew the story of Ingrid and Franz and I got closer to it through the documentary. However, in fiction, as in reality, we address topics such as memory and pacts of silence, but without basing ourselves on a real character. We created a fiction that approached that universe, seeking to generate a dialogue between both stories.
No, for me cinema is not just a medium to tell stories. I feel that, many times, the most important thing seems to be the argument or the plot, but I believe that cinema is a language that offers very powerful and rich tools that go beyond simply telling a story. As a filmmaker, the important thing is to present a point of view that may or may not be related to a real story. In this case, both the documentary part and the fiction part are approached through other cinematographic tools.
The idea was that the viewer had the opportunity to enter this space of relationship between the characters and memory, and to explore the works, the relationships, even the metaphors, the sound, and other elements. Beyond bringing, in quotes, a topic to light, I feel that
Because it seems to me that it has to do with what cinema is for me, a language where we can combine not only the plot or theme, but also aesthetics, form, language and sound. When I was writing the film, from the beginning, I had the intention of creating a story that was structured like a kind of Russian doll. That is, a film within another film, which in turn contained another smaller one, where one would be documentary and the other fiction, filmed in different ways, with different aesthetics and cameras. I always remember that it caught my attention, when I was studying film, that the teaching of scriptwriting was very structured.
Work with Paulina Garcia It was, well, it was great in every way, because since we expressed the intention for her to be the protagonist of this fictional part, she showed a lot of interest. We had dialogues, script readings, we exchanged ideas and she contributed her vision of how she felt and saw the character. So, it was a constant conversation: how did I feel and see the character? We filmed in 2020 and 2021, even in the middle of the pandemic, so it was very complex to do rehearsals or meet many times in person.
So we talked, we talked, and we saw things from that place. From the beginning, there was generosity on her part, as I told you, not only at the level of an actress, but also with her ideas and proposals. He was a person, a great person, and that was really valuable. It was a process in which I also learned a lot. I greatly appreciate your generosity, not only to me, but also to the team.
Not for now. I think that A Place Called Dignity It was a film that marked me a lot in intimate terms, in the sense that it was very difficult to make, not so much because of the internal aspects of the film, but because of what it involved in making it, because of the external aspects, because of the production, which was especially difficult. So, I was left with a profound experience. When I met Ingrid and Franz, and was in the process of finishing A Place Called DignityI always had the idea of making a film that told his story combined with this fictional story, to generate something that was not classic, in quotes, in terms of perspective.
That was key for me. But I think I have already completed that exercise, and I have no intention of approaching this topic again from another point of view. Currently, I have been working for two years on the next film, which is called Dog Pawsa film adaptation of the novel Dog Paws by Carlos Droguet.
Interview between Time.news Editor and Matias Rojas, Director of Winter Howl
Editor: Good day, Matias! It’s a pleasure to have you with us today. Your upcoming film Winter Howl is generating quite a buzz. Can you tell us a bit about what inspired you to create this film?
Matias Rojas: Thank you for having me! The inspiration for Winter Howl came during my research for my previous film, A Place Called Dignity. I met two remarkable survivors, Ingrid and Franz, who lived through the horrors of Colonia Dignidad. Their stories resonated with me deeply, leading me to explore how one can live in the present while grappling with a traumatic past.
Editor: That’s such a profound theme. In fact, Winter Howl intertwines documentary and fiction. How did you approach this mix in your storytelling?
Matias Rojas: The narrative structure is quite unique. We wanted to create an experience that centers on the relationships between characters rather than directly depicting the dark history of Colonia Dignidad. So, we have a documentary style that captures Ingrid and Franz’s realities juxtaposed with a fictional story that involves a woman, played by Paulina Garcia, seeking redemption. This blend allows us to explore deeper themes of memory and silence while keeping viewers engaged in a dynamic cinematic language.
Editor: Speaking of Paulina Garcia, how was your experience working with her, especially in portraying such complex emotions?
Matias Rojas: Working with Paulina was a fantastic experience. She brought an incredible amount of depth to her character. From the outset, we engaged in dialogues and script readings, collaborating on how she envisioned her role. It was a mutual conversation about emotions, and that dialogue helped shape the character in a way that feels genuinely authentic.
Editor: That collaborative approach seems essential in film-making. You mentioned wanting to portray memory in a nuanced way. How do you feel Winter Howl achieves that?
Matias Rojas: I believe cinema is not just a way to tell stories but a rich language with numerous tools at its disposal. In Winter Howl, we structured the film like a Russian doll, with layers of narrative—one story nestled within another. This structure not only reflects the complexity of memory but also allows the audience to immerse themselves in the emotional truths of the characters. The different filmmaking techniques we used helped convey this multifaceted exploration.
Editor: It sounds like you’re pushing the boundaries of traditional storytelling. What do you hope audiences take away from Winter Howl when it opens on November 14th?
Matias Rojas: I hope viewers leave with a heightened awareness of the past and a deeper understanding of how it shapes our present. The film opens a discussion about memory and healing, and I want audiences to reflect not just on the stories I tell but on their own histories and how they navigate their truths.
Editor: Those are powerful aspirations for any film. Thank you, Matias, for sharing your insights with us. Winter Howl sounds like an evocative exploration of a painful history, and I’m sure it will resonate with many.
Matias Rojas: Thank you! It was a pleasure to share my thoughts, and I truly hope everyone enjoys the film as much as we enjoyed making it.