Nostalgia for the Light -- Film Review

CANNES -- As the Surrealists knew, juxtaposing two completely unrelated objects can produce electrifying and unexpected results, as it does in Patricio Guzman's remarkable documentary "Nostalgia for the Light." Here the director, famed for his political films, approaches the tragedy of the thousands of Chileans who disappeared during the dictatorship of August Pinochet through the lens of a giant telescope trained on the universe. What comes out of this unlikely comparison between astronomy and history is a totally new perspective, something broader, with glimpses into deeper meanings. Hard to place outside festivals, it should nevertheless vaunt strong critical support for special releases.