In Felipe Gálvez’s unpredictable tale, an anti-colonial Western set at the turn of the 20th century, three men set off on a bloody mission. Working on behalf of a powerful entrepreneur, their goal is to murder as many indigenous people as possible in order to be in a position to exploit new grazing routes for enormous herds of livestock. The dissimilar trio, made up of a US-American mercenary, a Scottish lieutenant and a young indigenous labourer, advances deep into the Tierra del Fuego region.

Featuring a bold screenplay and breath-taking formal language, THE SETTLERS tells of genocidal violence and capitalist exploitation as the foundations for the formation of the nation-state of Chile. A powerful film, not without reason Chile’s Oscar submission for 2024.

Felipe Gálvez, born in 1983, is a Chilean filmmaker, writer and editor based in Paris. THE SETTLERS is his debut feature. His previous works include the short film RAPAZ, which also premiered in Cannes as part of the Critics’ Week programme. His other short films have been awarded by festivals around the world. As an editor, he collaborated with filmmakers such as Marialy Rivas, Kiro Russo and Alex Anwandter.

Filmography: 2009 SILENCIO EN LA SALA, 2011 YO DE AQUÍ TE ESTOY MIRANDO, 2018 RAPAZ (all short films), 2023 THE SETTLERS

Awards: FIPRESCI Award (Cannes International Film Festival, France 2023)