The actor immortalized as the Man of Steel in the cinema came to the country during the dictatorship to support a group of actors threatened with death. At the end of 1987, he was barely 72 hours in the national territory, a period during which his leaders feared for his safety and he was the protagonist of endearing anecdotes. Now this story will be the focus of a documentary series produced by Fabula and written by Rodrigo Bastidas and Rodrigo Muñoz.
The letter caused consternation . A letter signed by Command 135 – Acción Pacificadora Trizano reached the hands of Chilean actors and playwrights during the first days of November 1987. The group’s name did not seem familiar to them, but they immediately associated it with a weapon derived from secrecy. police of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship. The most obvious conclusion after years of exile, kidnapping and disappearance.
The letter – addressed to those they saw as “front men of international Marxism” – gave 78 local artists a month to “leave the country”. Among the personalities cited were Edgardo Bruna, then president of the Chilean Union of Actors and Actresses (Sidarte), as well as Julio Jung, Luis Alarcón, Delfina Guzmán and Nissim Sharim. The union responded quickly and made use of its contacts at home and abroad. They sought the support of recognizable figures in Europe, Latin America and the United States so that the news could be urgently disseminated.
In North America, they had Ariel Dorfman. The playwright lived in North Carolina and regularly wrote columns for the New York Times. He had just been expelled from the country for the second time, this time for having denounced the murder of photographer Rodrigo Rojas de Negri, which occurred on July 6, 1986, due to burns inflicted by a military patrol.
During his exile, he had strengthened his ties with American actors, including those most committed to humanitarian causes.
María Elena Duvauchelle, then secretary of Sidarte, told him that they had decided to hold a public act in Santiago on Monday, November 30, a case in which they wanted to have the support of foreign colleagues. As time ran out, they aimed to exhaust all avenues of receiving this support in person. Dorfman took on the task and began the search.
The author did not know Christopher Reeve . In fact, the idea of summoning him was not his. The possibility was raised by the poet Rose Styron, who was a friend of Margot Kidder, the actress behind the character of Lois Lane in the four films of the saga. Superman. It was she who was responsible for transmitting the information to him and played a key role insofar as the interpreter was quick to dial the number of the Chilean playwright.
During the phone conversation, they discussed an article Dorman had published a few days earlier in The New York Times. And then he asked her two questions: “If I go, how dangerous is Chile for me? If I go, how will it help my Chilean colleagues? His counterpart replied bluntly:If you go, you can save their life ”. After a break, Reeve confirmed he would be taking the flight.
“No organization offered to help, and I offered to pay for half his ticket, plus the ticket for my wife, whom he met in Miami,” Dorfman revealed to The third in 2017.
Unable to go to the country, his wife, Angélica Malinarich, undertook to accompany him. The actor only traveled with hand luggage, but with his large size, he was quick to attract attention upon his arrival in the country. Without personal security, the circle that accompanied him during his 72 hours in the country was made up of actors Jaime Celedón – with whom he stayed –, Julio Jung and María Elena Duvauchelle, among others. A shift system has been created to ensure your safety during your brief but complex stay.
Celedón’s children, in particular, couldn’t believe it: he had Superman, a movie hero, in his own residence.
Focus on Andy Warhol: “His most important and innovative source of art was confusion itself”
His itinerary included the La Comedia theater of the Ictus group (Lastarria neighborhood), Pizza Nostra de Providencia and the old Galpón de Los Leones. He was also present at a protest in Alameda which ended abruptly due to excess, increasing the nervousness of those who had to protect him.
As stipulated, Reeve appeared before his fellow gymnasium Nataniel on November 30, 1987, the same day the ultimatum the 135th Commando – Trizano Pacifying Action fulfilled. “I’m here actor to actor, worker to worker, friend to friend “, he underlined on stage – with Malinarich as translator –, excluding that the reason for his visit is related to the world of comics. “My concern is for human rights,” he added to the euphoria of those present.
It was the decisive moment of an express visit, lasting only 72 hours, but which was to weave a warm bond between Reeve and Chile, deepened later by his participation in the No campaign and two interviews he gave to the Telethon.
Now his heady days in the country in 1987 will be the main source of inspiration for Superman’s Bodyguards , a documentary series produced by Fábula and written by Rodrigo Bastidas and Rodrigo Muñoz. “He intends to portray an epic and brilliant feat,” director Sebastián Radic told Variety. The company explained that it expects production – still in development – to be completed by the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025.
Continue reading in Worship
Source: Latercera
I am Robert Harris and I specialize in news media. My experience has been focused on sports journalism, particularly within the Rugby sector. I have written for various news websites in the past and currently work as an author for Athletistic, covering all things related to Rugby news.
