VTIFF & Burlington Book Festival Present: Neruda
Sponsored by Champlain College
Directed by Pablo Larraín
Chile/Spain | Spanish w/ English Subtitles | 2016 | 107 min
Followed by an audience Q&A with Latin American Poetry professor and Neruda scholar Tina Escaja
In Pablo Larraín’s critically acclaimed new film, beloved poet Pablo Neruda (Luis Gnecco) is also the most famous communist in post-WWII Chile. When political tides shift, he’s forced underground with a persistent police inspector (Gael García Bernal) hot on his trail. Meanwhile, in Europe, the legend of the Nobel laureate hunted by government authorities grows and artists led by Pablo Picasso clamor for the poet’s freedom. Neruda, however, sees the struggle with his nemesis as an opportunity to reinvent himself. He cunningly plays with the inspector, leaving clues designed to make their game of cat-and-mouse ever more perilous. In this enthusiastically reviewed triumph of movie metafiction, Neruda recognizes his own heroic possibilities: a chance to become a symbol for liberty as well as a literary legend.
This exclusive Burlington showing of Neruda is a benefit for the Vermont International Film Foundation and the 2017 Burlington Book Festival. The donation of $20 is recommended but not required. Seats are limited and will be reserved for audience members who make their donation in advance.