Blanquita

Guilty or innocent? This is much more than a question for the court. Superbly photographed political cinema, revolving around an unforgettable protagonist.

No one takes much notice of Father Manuel and his shelter for minors – not least the youngsters themselves. This changes abruptly when Blanca, one of Manuel’s foster children, becomes a key witness in a national political scandal. She voices unprecedented accusations against the political system and its players. One thing is clear: Blanca is a victim and those on the other side are perpetrators. But there is also another truth.

Borrowing from an actual Chilean scandal, with echoes of the Jeffrey Epstein case, director Fernando Guzzoni reflects on questions of guilt and truth beyond the courtroom. In precise compositions, Guzzoni and his brilliant cinematographer Benjamín Echazarreta capture the claustrophobic, almost hopeless situation of the protagonists – and transform their rage into a force that inspires hope.

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