God

In 2018, Pope Francis travelled to Chile on an official visit. The country was then undergoing a serious spiritual crisis. Despite the efforts of the Catholic Church, the parishes are increasingly empty, while in the streets people are demonstrating their anger against institutionalised power. Several causes are designated by part of the Chilean people, determined to regain the social rights lost throughout the dictatorship. Fights for LGBTIQ rights, for the depenalisation of abortion, or for the Mapuche cause come up against demonstrations by the fervent faithful crowds of Pope Francis, who are showing their admiration. God was designed by the MAFI collective: 17 filmmakers were invited to capture the Pope’s visit, their only constraint being to use static shots and direct sound. Thanks to this distanced observation, God constitutes a scathing portrait, full of humour, of contemporary Chilean society—still experiencing profound tensions. Proof that the wounds of the past have perhaps not yet completely been closed.

Elena López Riera

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