Premiere of Documentary «Unyielding Memory: Marichi Tukulpan» Featuring Testimonies from Mapuche Survivors of the So-Called «Pacification of Araucanía»

Original article: Estrenan documental «Memoria implacable: Marichi Tukulpan» con testimonios de sobrevivientes mapuche a la mal llamada «Pacificación de la Araucanía»

The National Cultural Heritage Service is inviting the public to explore Chilean museums during extended hours as part of the Night of Museums, a nationwide celebration. In Cañete, a program designed by audiovisual producer Treile Media will take place at a significant Mapuche museum, recently recognized with the Ibermuseos Education Award for its commitment to communities and diverse storytelling in its educational efforts.

The documentary film Unyielding Memory: Marichi Tukulpan is directed by Paula Rodríguez Sickert and produced by Paola Castillo Villagrán (Errante Producciones), in co-production with Gema Juárez Allen (Gema Films).

The film centers on Margarita Canio Llanquinao, a young academic who uncovers a series of testimonies from Mapuche political prisoners who survived the so-called «Pacification of Araucanía» in Chile and the «Campaign of the Desert» in Argentina. Moved by her discovery, she embarks on a journey tracing the territorial dispossession experienced by her ancestors, aiming to reconstruct one of the darkest and most silenced chapters in Latin American history.

This feature reveals the only existing first-person accounts of Mapuche territorial dispossession in Chile and Argentina, based on materials that remained untranslated and unpublished in a Berlin museum for over a century. The film offers an emotional journey into how the Mapuche experienced the atrocities committed during military campaigns, told through the voices of the survivors themselves.

“When we reviewed the material and I was tasked with translating the manuscript, I always felt that this work should not be confined to a book. Life led us to connect with Paula, the director,” states Margarita Canio Llanquinao, researcher and star of the documentary, referring to the book she co-edited with Gabriel Pozo: “Mapuche Oral History and Knowledge: Survivors of the Campaign of the Desert and Occupation of Araucanía (1899-1926); compiled by Robert Lehmann-Nitsche.

Mónica Obreque Guirriman, director of the Ruka Kimvn Taiñ Volil Juan Cayupi Huechicura Museum, commented on the anticipation for the premiere: “On one hand, there is great expectation to hear testimonies from those who survived a genocide and endured the most heinous atrocities, as it’s part of our history. On the other hand, there’s fear, as these are not easy things to process. Understanding history through a work like this is necessary, as it keeps us aware, but it is painful and devastating for us as Mapuche.”

Following the premiere, there will be a discussion featuring Bastián Chandía Millanao, a poet, illustrator, and teacher from the Kuzako community in Lonquimay, who provided the voice in Mapudungun for Katrülaf, the central character of this film, guiding viewers through the character’s memories.

The film had its national pre-premiere in Temuco and has been showcased in the United States, Belgium, France, and England, receiving the Best Script/Research Award at the Chilean Film Festival (FECICH). The international media outlet GPS Audiovisual highlighted it as “a record of resistance and remembrance, poetically intertwining the ancestral Mapuche landscape with memories that were erased by the force of the land and its people.”

Complete Program

Prior to the film’s presentation in the multipurpose hall of the central building, there will be a Launch of Memories of the widün: video, fanzine, and exhibition of Mapuche pottery produced by Treile Media, based on workshops held at the museum’s ruka in 2025 by Mapuche pottery masters Erika Colihuinca and Javier Rapiman.

Throughout the event, a Mapuche crafts and food fair will take place at the museum’s ruka. To facilitate mobility for attendees, a free shuttle bus will depart from the front of the Municipality of Cañete at 6:30 PM, returning at 10:30 PM.

This event is organized by the Ruka Kimvn Taiñ Volil Juan Cayupi Huechicura Museum and the Regional Directorate of the National Cultural Heritage Service, Biobío, with production by Treile Media and collaboration from the Municipality of Cañete.

For more information, visit the Instagram accounts @treilemedia and @museojuancayupihuechicura. Watch the Event Invitation Video.

Check out the trailer for the documentary below:

El Ciudadano