Dawson Isla 10 is a 2009 Chilean drama film, written and directed by Miguel Littín, a Chilean film director. The screenplay is based on Isla 10, a book by Sergio Bitar about his experiences as a political prisoner; "Isla 10" was the substitute name their guards imposed him during his imprisonment.

Dawson Isla 10
Directed byMiguel Littín
Written byMiguel Littín
Produced byMiguel Littín
Cristián de la Fuente
Miguel Ioan Littín
StarringBenjamín Vicuña
Cristián de la Fuente
Bertrand Duarte
Pablo Krögh
CinematographyMiguel Ioan Littín
Music byJuan Cristóbal Meza
Production
company
Azul Films
Release date
  • September 11, 2009 (2009-09-11)
Running time
117 minutes
CountryChile
LanguageSpanish
Budget2 million

Plot

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The 1973 Chilean coup d'état led to the overthrow of President Salvador Allende and the rise to power of Augusto Pinochet in Chile. This film depicts the former members of Allende's cabinet, who were apprehended and confined in a political prison on Dawson Island, Tierra del Fuego, which had been transformed into a concentration camp. In the early 20th century, the camp was used to relocate Selk'nam and other indigenous groups from the main island, in order to put an end to their interference with the large sheep ranches that had been established, as they persisted in hunting in their former territories.

In 1973, Pinochet's government also imprisoned hundreds of other suspected communists and political dissidents on Dawson Island. Under the strict control of the Chilean Navy, these men struggled to survive the freezing temperatures and severe conditions.

Cast

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Submissions

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The film was nominated for Best Spanish Language Foreign Film at the 24th edition of Goya Awards.

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