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The Settlers (2023 film)

The Settlers
Theatrical release poster
SpanishLos colonos
Directed byFelipe Gálvez Haberle
Written by
  • Felipe Gálvez Haberle
  • Antonia Girardi
  • Mariano Llinás (collaboration)
Produced byStefano Centini
Santiago Galleli
Thierry Lenouvel
Emily Morgan
Giancarlo Nasi
Matias Roveda
Starring
CinematographySimone D'Arcangelo
Edited byMatthieu Taponier
Music byHarry Allouche
Production
companies
Distributed by
  • Dulac Distribution (France)
  • MUBI (North America, Latin America, United Kingdom, Turkey, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Benelux and India)[2]
Release date
  • 22 May 2023 (2023-05-22) (Cannes)
Running time
97 minutes
Countries
  • Chile
  • Argentina
  • United Kingdom
  • Taiwan
  • Germany
  • Sweden
  • France
  • Denmark
Languages
  • Spanish
  • English
Box office$113,466[3][4]

The Settlers (Spanish: Los colonos) is a 2023 revisionist Western drama film directed by Felipe Gálvez Haberle (in his directorial debut),[5] who co-wrote the script with Antonia Girardi in collaboration with Mariano Llinás.[6][7] The film stars Mark Stanley, Camilo Arancibia, Benjamin Westfall, Alfredo Castro, Mishell Guaña, Sam Spruell, Marcelo Alonso, and Adriana Stuven.[8] It is a co-production between Chile, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, France, Denmark, Sweden, and Germany.[9]

The Settlers had its world premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on 17 May 2023. It competed for Un Certain Regard and Caméra d'Or and alongside those was honored with the FIPRESCI Prize, becoming the first Chilean production to win that award.[10] It was selected as the Chilean entry for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.[11]

Plot

In 1901, Segundo, a Chilean mestizo, Alexander MacLennan, a Scottish veteran and Bill, an American mercenary, embark on an expedition within the plains of Tierra del Fuego to delimit and reclaim the lands that the Chilean state has granted to bussinessman José Menéndez. What appears to be an administrative expedition turns into a violent hunt for Onas, the natives of the archipelago.[12][13] The Selknam genocide lies at the core of the film.

Thanks to his exceptional shooting skills, Segundo is chosen by MacLennan to accompany him on his task and Bill is appointed by Menéndez to join them.

MacLennan sports a distinctive red jacket and is believed to have spent time serving as a lieutenant in the British army. Bill expresses his distrust of Segundo and questions why, as a lieutenant, MacLennan doesn't have more men following him, to which MacLennan counters that Segundo is disciplined and one disciplined man is better than ten undisciplined ones. Regardless, Segundo is frequently disrespected and undermined by the both of them, and he remains mostly silent throughout the expedition.

After several days of travel, they find a group of soldiers on the Argentine border accompanying a scientist charged with charting the border of Argentina. The trio engage with the soldiers in various competitions, including shooting, arm wrestling and boxing. During the evening, the scientist muses on the dangers of letting a military grow bored and shows a perverse interest in the natives, citing they should be educated to serve Chile as a developing nation. MacLennan asks the scientist if he knows the location of more natives.

The trio continue on their mission until they notice a small camp of Native Americans from afar, including women and infants. Segundo is forced to accompany MacLennan and Bill as they begin methodically killing most of the people there. Segundo is able to avoid shooting anyone and goes unnoticed; though is given an opportunity to shoot Bill during the slaughter, he ultimately decides not to.

After the killing, MacLennan and Bill take turns raping a young female survivor. When Segundo refuses to partake upon MacLennan's encouragement, MacLennan berates him and threatens to kill him if he doesn't. Segundo acquiesces, but instead mercy-kills the young woman when he reaches her, choking her to death.

The next day, the trio are approached by a band of English mercenaries. The leader, Colonel Martin, insists they join them for a shared dinner, which MacLennan is reluctantly forced to accept. In the evening, Colonel Martin exposes MacLennan's rank as a private through his uniform. Bill shows surprise that a higher ranking officer would be willing to share a meal with a lowly private, to which Martin shoots Bill dead in disgust, shocking MacLennan. Martin offers MacLennan a native woman, Kiepja, as a replacement for Bill, citing that his tastes are "more refined". The Colonel then rapes MacLennan in exchange. Segundo, MacLennan and Kiepja all depart together the next morning.

Seven years later, José Menéndez is living in a Chilean mansion in Punta Arenas. He is accompanied by his daughter and a clergyman when they receive a visit from a man named Marcial Vicuña, sent from the capital to assess what can be done for the people of Chile in celebration of its centennial. Menéndez claims that many men have visited this area before and only focused on the negatives without really helping. Vicuña asks if the negatives he refers to include the deeds of men like Alexander MacLennan, nicknamed The Red Pig. Menéndez reveals that MacLennan is now dead, but did work for him for many years; he recounts a story he'd read which claimed MacLennan and his men poisoned a beached whale, resulting in the deaths of a hundred Native Americans. Menéndez defends his former employee, referring to him as a Lieutenant, and his daughter and the clergyman also defend the actions taken against the natives.

Menéndez takes Vicuña upstairs to a study so the two of them can "talk seriously". Vicuña explains that the government in Santiago feel all social groups must live and work together in order to achieve true peace, to which Menéndez claims they already live in peace in this part of Chile. Vicuña claims an agreement has been reached with the Mapuche and now wishes to speak to the Onas in order to make one with them. However, he then states that his main goal is to bury some of the more violent aspects of how Menéndez came to own so much land.

Segundo has since married Kiepja, now going by the name Rosa, and the two have established a home by the shore of Chiloé Island.

Vicuña visits Segundo and explains tthat he wishes to report details of the violent crimes Menéndez had him commit. Segundo details that he continued to serve under MacLennan, that Menéndez had appointed MacLennan "Peace Judge" and Rosa was intended to help translate discussions between MacLennan and the natives. However, Segundo then goes on to tell of a time when MacLennan held a great beachside banquet for over three hundred Native Americans. Once the attendees were drunk, MacLennan and Segundo, among others, massacred them.

Vicuña then sets the couple up at a table outside their house with a tea set in front of them. He instructs them to each drink the tea while he films them. Segundo obliges, but Rosa staunchly does not, despite Vicuña's increasingly impatient demands.

Cast

Release

Festival

It had its world premiere on 22 May 2023, at the 76th Cannes Film Festival.[14] then it was screened on 12 August 2023, in the Fiction Competition section of the 27th Lima Film Festival[15] and soon on 7 September 2023, in the Centerpiece section at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival.[16][17]

Distribution

MUBI announced that they have acquired distribution rights for multiple territories, including North America, Latin America, the UK, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Turkey, India, and the Benelux. They plan to release the film theatrically in the UK and the US.[18]

Reception

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 62 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "As harrowing as it is humane, The Settlers serves as a sharp-edged excavation of long-marginalized history."[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 80 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[20]

Accolades

Award Date Category Recipient Result Ref.
Cannes Film Festival 21 May 2023 Caméra d'Or Felipe Gálvez Haberle Nominated [21]
Un Certain Regard Nominated [22]
FIPRESCI Prize Won [23]
Munich International Film Festival 1 July 2023 CineVision Award for Best Film by an Emerging Director The Settlers Nominated [24]
Lima Film Festival 18 August 2023 Best Picture Nominated [25][26]
Best Screenplay Felipe Gálvez & Antonia Girardi Won
Peruvian Association of Film Press - Best Film The Settlers Won
San Sebastián International Film Festival 30 September 2023 Horizons Award Nominated [27]
Festival du Nouveau Cinéma de Montreal 15 October 2023 Louve d'Or Won [28]
Tokyo International Film Festival 1 November 2023 Tokyo Grand Prix Nominated [29]
Stockholm International Film Festival 17 November 2023 Best Picture Won [30]
IndieWire Critics Poll 11 December 2023 Best First Feature 5th Place [31]
Forqué Awards 16 December 2023 Best Latin-American Film Nominated
[32]
International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights 18 March 2024 Fiction Grand Award Won [33]
Platino Awards 20 April 2024 Best Ibero-American Debut Film The Settlers Nominated
[34]
Best Art Direction Sebastián Orgambide Nominated
Artios Awards 12 February 2025 Outstanding Achievement in Casting – International Film Jessie Frost Nominated [35]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Entrevista exclusiva: Felipe Gálvez estrena Los colonos en Cannes 2023". Cinema Chile (in European Spanish). 2023-05-22. Archived from the original on 2023-07-18. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  2. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (May 24, 2023). "MUBI Acquires Cannes Un Certain Regard Title 'The Settlers' for North America, U.K." Variety. Archived from the original on October 4, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  3. ^ "The Settlers". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  4. ^ "The Settlers". The Numbers. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  5. ^ "'Los Colonos': ópera prima del chileno Felipe Gálvez se sitúa en las películas más esperadas de Cannes". BioBioChile - La Red de Prensa Más Grande de Chile (in Spanish). 2023-05-16. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  6. ^ "Los Colonos, de Felipe Gálvez, concursa en Cannes 2023 | EL PERFIL" (in Spanish). 2023-05-25. Archived from the original on 2023-07-18. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  7. ^ Grobar, Matt (23 August 2023). "Oscars: Chile Submits Cannes Prize Winner 'The Settlers' For Best International Feature". Deadline. Archived from the original on 4 October 2024. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  8. ^ ""Los Colonos": película chilena sobre el genocidio Selkʼnam será parte de la selección oficial del Festival de Cannes". El Mostrador (in Spanish). 2023-04-13. Archived from the original on 2023-07-18. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  9. ^ "Chile llega con una ópera prima, una coproducción y un coprotagónico al Festival de Cannes". infobae (in European Spanish). 14 May 2023. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  10. ^ ""Los Colonos" se convierte en la primera película chilena en ganar el premio FIPRESCI en Cannes". Romántica (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2023-07-18. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  11. ^ Valdivia, Gonzalo (2023-08-23). "Los Colonos representará a Chile en los Oscar y La Memoria Infinita irá por los Goya". La Tercera. Archived from the original on 2023-08-23. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  12. ^ Bałaga, Marta (2023-05-23). "Felipe Galvez Readies to Ruffle Some Feathers with 'The Settlers,' a Western about Chile's Bloody Colonial Past: 'I Love to Be Controversial'". Variety. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  13. ^ "Felipe Gálvez on his Tierra del Fuego western The Settlers: "It's like shooting in hell"". BFI. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  14. ^ "El chileno Felipe Gálvez estrena en Cannes "Los colonos"". diariolasamericas.com (in Spanish). 23 May 2023. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  15. ^ "Los colonos" [The Settlers]. 27 PUCP Lima Film Festival (in Spanish). Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  16. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (2023-08-10). "TIFF 2023 Centerpiece Program Showcases Aki Kaurismäki, Wim Wenders, Agnieszka Holland, and More". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 2023-08-21. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  17. ^ "The Settlers". TIFF. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  18. ^ Ntim, Zac (May 24, 2023). "Mubi Acquires Chilean Cannes Title 'The Settlers' For Multiple Territories Including North America & UK". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  19. ^ "The Settlers | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Archived from the original on 2024-01-21. Retrieved 2025-12-16.
  20. ^ The Settlers, archived from the original on 2023-07-18, retrieved 2023-07-18
  21. ^ Debruge, Peter (2023-05-27). "Cannes Awards: 'Anatomy of a Fall' Takes Palme d'Or, 'The Zone of Interest' and 'The Pot au Feu' Among Winners". Variety. Archived from the original on 2023-05-28. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  22. ^ "Un Certain Regard Winners List 2023". Festival de Cannes. 2023-05-26. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  23. ^ Franklin, Anna. "FNE at Cannes 2023: Full List of Prize Winners - FilmNewEurope.com". www.filmneweurope.com. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  24. ^ Blaney, Martin. "Filmfest München unveils 2023 competition titles". Screen. Archived from the original on 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  25. ^ "27 Festival de Cine de Lima". Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  26. ^ "¡ESTOS SON LOS GANADORES DEL 27 FESTIVAL DE CINE DE LIMA PUCP!". Archived from the original on 2023-08-19. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  27. ^ "Película chilena "Los Colonos" competirá en sección Horizontes Latinos de San Sebastián". Emol (in Spanish). 2023-08-03. Archived from the original on 2023-08-07. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  28. ^ Charles-Henri Ramond, "(FNC 2023) Chloé Leriche et Ariane Louis-Seize récompensées" Archived 2024-05-20 at the Wayback Machine. Films du Québec, October 16, 2023.
  29. ^ Brzeski, Patrick (27 September 2023). "Tokyo Film Festival Aims to Boost Global Relevance With Bumper 2023 Edition". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 4 October 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  30. ^ "Stockholm's Bronze Horse goes to Felipe Gálvez Haberle's The Settlers". Cineuropa. 2023-11-20. Archived from the original on 2024-01-12. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  31. ^ Blauvelt, Christian (December 11, 2023). "2023 Critics Poll: The Best Films and Performances, According to 158 Critics from Around the World". IndieWire. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  32. ^ "Palmarés completo de los Premios Forqué 2023: '20.000 especies de abejas' y 'La Mesías' lideran la apertura de la temporada". Cinemanía. 17 December 2023. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2024 – via 20minutos.es.
  33. ^ Economou, Vassilic (2024-03-18). "The 22nd FIFDH announces its award winners". Cineuropa. Archived from the original on 2024-04-19. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  34. ^ "Premios Platino 2024 | Palmarés completo: el triunfo de 'La sociedad de la nieve' y todos los ganadores de la noche". Cinemanía. 21 April 2024. Archived from the original on 23 May 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024 – via 20minutos.es.
  35. ^ Rice, Lynette (December 17, 2024). "'Wicked' & 'Gladiator II' Among Film Nominees For 40th Annual Artios Awards; Casting Nods Also Go To 'Saturday Night' & 'Moana 2". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
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