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Santiago, Chile. September 11, 1973. A military dictatorship seizes power and wields it for 17 years. Thousands of men disappear. "Donde estan? (Where are they?)," ask the women, their partners in la cueca, the traditional Chilean courtship dance. Surmounting their grief, the women speak out and struggle to restore democracy. Their lives suspended, they continue to dance la cueca sola, alone.

This documentary by Marilu Mallet tells the stories of five women who suffered under dictatorship and emerged as heroes under democracy. The threads of the five stories are closely intertwined with the history of Chile, encouraging reflection on the burden of heritage, the relativity of happiness and the power of memory. Navigating through the past but firmly moored in the present, the film expresses an entire nation's faith in a future in which such a thing will never happen again.

2003, 52 min 01 s

La cueca sola

3rd Best Documentary Award
Women Film Festival "La Mo-Viola"
October 8 to 15 2004, Torino - Italy

Award for Best Direction in the Canadian Spectrum Program - Category: Short to Mid-Length
Hot Docs
April 23 to May 2 2004, Toronto - Canada

Best Canadian Documentary - Category: Short to Mid-Length
Hot Docs
April 23 to May 2 2004, Toronto - Canada

Special Mention
Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma
February 12 to 22 2004, Montréal - Canada