The Pearl Button

Opened Wednesday, September 13, 2023

After contemplating the heavens in Nostalgia for the Light, Guzma´n (The Battle of Chile) turns his masterful eye to the ocean to uncover the history of the indigenous people of Patagonia. In pre-colonial times, the nomadic Kaweskar (or “water people”) lived and thrived in harmony with the sea; today they have all but vanished. Interviewing the last of the Kaweskar, Guzma´n chronicles the terrible devastation wrought by this almost complete genocide, discovering an unsettling parallel to the thousands who were disappeared by more recent regimes.

Winner: Silver Bear for Best Script, Berlin Film Festival

Screening as part of the series Patricio Guzmán, Dreaming of Utopia: 50 Years of Revolutionary Hope and Memory

  • Country Chile, France, Spain
  • Language Spanish with English subtitles.
  • Year 2015
  • Running Time 82 minutes
  • Format DCP
  • Distributor Kino Lorber
  • Director Patricio Guzman
  • Cast Martín Calderón, Cristina, Patricio Guzmán
  • Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.