Starring: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers
Under mounting pressure from world governments in the
late-80’s, Chilean dictator, Augusto Pinochet was forced to announce an
election on his future as the permanent leader of Chile. Voters who supported
Pinochet’s indefinite stay in office would vote, “Si” (“Yes”), whilst those who
oppose would vote “No”. With the side opposing Pinochet losing support amongst
a highly-negative publicity campaign, René Saavedra (Bernal), an advertising
executive and son of an exiled anti-Pinochet activist creates a new No campaign
that highlights the positives of Chile without Pinochet with entertainment and
humour.
Although Pinochet’s time as the militaristic dictator of
Chile is well known to those outside of the country, less known was the process
with which he was toppled. This is understandable given the collapse of
Communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union at the time and the more
violent revolts that came with them. No is an interesting insight to this
overlooked period tackled with a little appropriate humour, whilst also having
a keen eye for the facts. Realism is key to this film and is heightened by use
of fly-on-the-wall-styled video tape as opposed more traditional and glossier
methods such as using a digital format or nitrate film. No is an acquired taste
because of these stylistic exercises and is at times a little too understated
for its own good, but what is there is entertaining and very informative.
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