The Silence of Isla Dawson: Unearthing the Heritage of Patagonian Island
9:21 min Film
2015
Winner of the North Carolina Film Festival

Dawson is an island spanning around 2,000 square kilometers, located in the Strait of Magellan, 100 kilometers south of Punta Arenas. A portion of its history is recreated in "The Silence of Isla Dawson," a short film directed by Alex Rivera. The film aims to inform the audience about the heritage sites on the island, including the Selk’nam cemetery, the San Rafael chapel, and the concentration camps that operated between 1973 and 1974: Compingim and Río Chico. The multidisciplinary team consists of architects, urban planners, historians, actors, filmmakers, and anthropologists. Through art, imagery, and communications, they seek to restore access to Isla Dawson and bring awareness to the National Monuments (under Law 17,288) associated with events from our modern history and the 19th century. The island is currently under the jurisdiction of the Chilean Navy. These monuments include the Río Chico prisoner camp, Selk’nam Cemetery, San Rafael Chapel, and chimneys and ovens (under National Monuments Law 17,288). Technical Data Sheet: Production House: Casa Tortuga Directed by: Alex Rivera Screenplay: Marcelo Guajardo Art Direction and Executive Production: Camila Mancilla Director of Photography: Rafael Cheuquelaf, Álvaro Rivera. Cast: Loreto Aravena Catalina Saavedra Gloria Laso Alex Rivera Ariel Mateluna Matías Vega Luis Dubó Editing: Benjamín Brunet Makeup: Mai Bernabeu