Valeria Sarmiento Premieres Final Film 'Behind the Rain'
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- Valeria Sarmiento premiered "Behind the Rain" at Karlovy Vary's Crystal Globe Competition, marking her final directorial effort after a career spanning more than 50 years and 30+ features addressing women's experiences under patriarchy.
- The film follows psychology professor Sofia, played by Paula Prado, whose return to her hometown coincides with the discovery of a girl's body, unspooling memories of childhood sexual abuse.
- Producer Chamila Rodríguez (Poetastros) developed the project with Sarmiento over seven years; the idea emerged during post-production on Raúl Ruiz's "The Tango of the Widower and Its Distorting Mirror," and Rodríguez suggested they shoot in Chile.
- Sarmiento chose to shoot in monochrome — "when talking about the past, I see it in black and white" — and drew the title from her mother's childhood plea to look "behind the rain," meaning to pay attention to details.
- Rodríguez described securing funding as "very difficult," framing it within Chile's broader struggle for film resources despite a vibrant new generation including Cannes-selected Manuela Martelli and Dominga Sotomayor.
- Sarmiento and Rodríguez are now restoring Raúl Ruiz's unfinished "La Colonia Penal," with post-production underway for a planned 2026 premiere.
Why it matters: The premiere caps a 50-year, 30+ feature career from a filmmaker with Golden Bear and Golden Lion nominations. Rodríguez's candid seven-year funding fight spotlights Chile's push for state film support, while the duo pivots next to restoring Raúl Ruiz's unfinished 'La Colonia Penal' for a 2026 premiere.
