Chile Estyle w/ Pablo Aravena

Chile Estyle is a documentary film, which explores the past and present of this artistic expression, which has been part of the Chilean cultural and political life since the 1960s.

We look at the diverse influences, which Chile has received in the course of history. Even if Mexican muralism was a key initial influence, the Ramona Parra Brigade of political painting, both in its initial phase of the 1960’s and 70’s, and after the fall of Pinochet´s dictatorship, incorporated new elements. These came mainly from New York and Sao Paulo graffiti, but also incorporated aspects of, for instance Pop art, with indigenous American subjects and patterns. Considering also what was happening in South American street art, such as pixaçao in Brazil and stencil culture in Argentina, we will see the synthesis of ingredients that created a Chilean style of street art. As a cultural expression with strong political and social implications, this dynamic form of artistic expression is undeniably important at national, Latin American and global levels. Santiago de Chile is now considered (by Hervé Chandès, Director of the Cartier Foundation for contemporary art, in the New York Times of July 2009), as along with Sao Paulo, one of the two world capitals of graffiti.

Three main characters anchor the film with each one representing a specific era, which reflects how street art has mirrored Chile’s social history.

Mono González, one of founders and the driving force behind the Brigadas Ramona Parra aesthetic shares with us the development of the Brigades in the late 60’s. He recounts how the brigades supported Allende’s presidential campaign with large Agit Prop murals. He also recounts the beginnings of muralism in Chile in the 40’s when Siqueiros, the renowned Mexican masters painted in the Mexico School in Chillan, Chile. As well he will tell us his revolutionary views on public art. He connects the past with the present.

Cekis, who now lives in New York City, is one of the founding fathers of the modern graffiti movement, which took shape in the early 90’s. He will tell us how graffiti began towards the end of the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile. He will also share what it was like when this new graffiti scene was taking shape and how it has grown into one of Latin America’s powerhouses.

Inti, is one of Chile’s most important street artists. Originally from Valparaiso he now lives in Europe. We follow him from Valparaiso and Santiago to Montreal and Paris as he becomes internationally famous. He shows us his entry into the gallery system and how artists navigate the art world and their desire to paint in the street. His personal work is very rooted in syncretism and remixing different cultures.

These three characters give their personal accounts of seminal moments in the development of the muralism and graffiti movements in Chile. Their personas represent three different generations of artists who painted on Chilean streets.

We investigate the artistic methods of muralists, brigade painters and grafiteros: Starting with the muralists, the political painting brigades moving onto graffiti pioneers Cekis and Sick, the returned exile who brought graffiti knowledge from France, to graffiti stars such as Saile. We will learn about artists like Bisy, Juana Perez and Anis, who are all part of a strong women’s movement in Chilean street culture. These women paint side by side with the men and are using street art as a voice to create a female presence on the street. We will also hear from indigenous Mapuche artist collectives Alapinta and Aner & Tikay who tell us how they use street art to represent native cultural themes in order to vindicate their identity.

There is an emphasis on the conceptualization of works, as well as their creation; we therefore show artists in their everyday lives as well as painting in their places of origin, and on their travels to Santiago, Valparaiso and other regions of Chile like the desert in the north and the Mapuche nation in the south.

The documentary is composed so as to resemble the artistic style which it is about: Cinéma Vérité moments, video and photographic archives will be combined with interviews and motion graphics, and letters derived from street art, to portray the dynamism of Chilean street art.

Chile Estyle documents and showcases Chile’s unique mural painting tradition resulting in a visually arresting, informative and entertaining film.