Pablo Larraín’s new film ‘El Conde’ will be released in select UK cinemas on 8th September and on Netflix on 15th September 2023.
The horror satire portrays a universe in which Augusto Pinochet (Jaime Vadell) is a 250-year-old vampire who, tired of being remembered as a thief, decides to die. You can watch the trailer for the film at the top of this article and see the key art below:
‘El Conde’ is a dark comedy/horror that imagines a parallel universe inspired by the recent history of Chile. The film portrays Augusto Pinochet, a symbol of world fascism, as a vampire who lives hidden in a ruined mansion in the cold southern tip of the continent. Feeding his appetite for evil to sustain his existence. After two hundred and fifty years of life, Pinochet has decided to stop drinking blood and abandon the privilege of eternal life. He can no longer bear that the world remembers him as a thief. Despite the disappointing and opportunistic nature of his family, he finds new inspiration to continue living a life of vital and counterrevolutionary passion through an unexpected relationship.
“I have been imagining Pinochet as a vampire for years, as a being that never stops circulating through history, through our imagination and our nightmares. Vampires don’t die or disappear, nor do the crimes and thefts of a dictator who never knew justice”, explains Larraín about the concept behind the story, and adds: “The brutal impunity that Pinochet represents had to be faced directly, showing him for the first time face to face. To do so, we have used the language of satire and political farce”.
In the words of Francisco Ramos, Netflix’s Vice President of Content for Latin America: “Our commitment to Chile and Chilean filmmakers is clearly evident with ‘El Conde’, the new film by Pablo Larraín, whose vision and universe bring us a unique, hypnotic and powerful film, like all of his cinematography. We are proud to work with Pablo on this production that will premiere in the official section of the Venice International Film Festival, before reaching our members around the world. From Chile and Latin America to the world”.
‘El Conde’ stars renowned Chilean actors Jaime Vadell, Gloria Münchmeyer, Alfredo Castro and Paula Luchsinger, who are joined by Catalina Guerra, Marcial Tagle, Amparo Noguera, Diego Muñoz and Antonia Zegers, playing the Count’s daughters and sons.
The movie was filmed entirely in Chile on locations that are in four different regions of the country, including the former Oazy Harbour ranch located in the Magallanes Region and Chilean Antarctica, where they filmed in the middle of the austral winter and where the Count’s refuge was brought to life.
