Summary
Barrandov Film Studios took part in this 1978 Czech-Hungarian-Soviet co-production from Lithuanian writer-director Vytautas Žalakevičius. The historical drama examines the political events surrounding the real-life 1973 assassination of Chilean president Salvador Allende. The left-wing politician, who attempted to create a democratic form of Marxist government, becomes the target of Chilean reactionaries, strongly supported by the American CIA. The coup plan, codenamed “Centaur”, ends up triggering civil war in Chile, fuelled by American greed and the Chilean junta. Spanning two chapters, the filmmakers chart the disintegration of the political structures created by Allende, as well as the dramatic downfall of his government. Donatas Banionis assumes the lead role. He is well-known to filmgoers for his performance in the 1972 Andrei Tarkovsky sci-fi classic Solaris.
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