Dialogues of Exiles

Plot

Chilean exiles in Paris discuss the problems facing them in the early years of the Pinochet regime. They kidnap and attempt to reeducate a touring singer from their homeland. This is Ruiz’s first film in France, Dialogue of Exiles (1974), which observes the gestures and rhetorics of the community of exiles of which he himself was a part of . It showcases a belonging to a community-in exile, united by the tragedy of the fall of the Allende government and the brutality of the Pinochet coup.

Cast

Reception

Dialogues of Exiles ultimately caused Ruiz to be ostracized from the Chilean exile community because of its critical, at times even unfriendly portrayal of them. Ruizʼs depiction of the exiles is laced with scathing humor, and many complained that he had made light of “los problemas de adaptación, de lenguaje, de espacio, de integración, de choque cultural” [the problems of adaptation, language, space, integration, and cultural shock], which for many were quite serious (“Diálogos”). He nevertheless continued to explore issues of Chilean identity, dictatorship, and exile in his films.