Pablo Larrain’s compelling drama NO has been shortlisted at the 85th Academy Awards for ‘Best Foreign Language Film’.
Gael Garcia Bernal stars as Rene Saavedra who spearheads the advertising campaign which, against all odds, managed to overthrow Pinochet’s regime in 1988 to bring democracy to Chile. NO opens in UK cinemas on 8 February 2013.
Director of NO, Pablo Larrain, said: "I am delighted that NO has been shortlisted for the 85th Academy Awards and that its members have had the imagination to embrace one of the most important stories in Chilean history.
Larrain added, "Many people know how Pinochet came to power in a coup; few know how he left. This is the story of how a group of young ad executives defied fear, and with the help of happiness, changed the destiny of a nation".
With scant resources and constant scrutiny from individuals sympathetic to Pinochet's totalitarian regime, including ad agency colleagues and the secret police, this bold and enthralling film looks at how a team of Chile's "Mad Men" and opponents of the dictatorial government instigated change without resorting to violence during the 1988 plebiscite and with only 15 minutes of TV exposure in the early hours of the morning.
The film seamlessly blends scripted scenes with archive footage and features many of the people who were banned in Chilean media when Pinochet was in power.
No opens at UK cinemas on 8 February
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