No (2012)

An ad executive comes up with a campaign to defeat Augusto Pinochet in Chile's 1988 referendum.

Director:

Pablo Larraín

Writers:

Pedro Peirano (screenplay), Antonio Skármeta (play)

Stars:

Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 12 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gael García Bernal	...	René Saavedra
Alfredo Castro	...	Lucho Guzmán
Luis Gnecco	...	José Tomás Urrutia
Néstor Cantillana	...	Fernando
Antonia Zegers	...	Verónica Carvajal
Marcial Tagle	...	Alberto Arancibia
Pascal Montero	...	Simón Saavedra
Jaime Vadell	...	Minister Fernández
Elsa Poblete	...	Carmen
Diego Muñoz	...	Carlos
Roberto Farías	...	Marcelo
Sergio Hernández	...	Militar
Manuela Oyarzún	...	Sandra
Paloma Moreno	...	Fran
César Caillet	...	Cliente

Storyline

Military dictator Augusto Pinochet calls for a referendum to decide his permanence in power in 1988, the leaders of the opposition persuade a young daring advertising executive - René Saavedra - to head their campaign. With limited resources and under the constant scrutiny of the despot's watchmen, Saavedra and his team conceive of a bold plan to win the election and free their country from oppression.

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Plot Keywords:

campaign | chile | political reform | pinochet | referendum | 

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Taglines:

Adiós, Mr. Pinochet.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

Chile USA France Mexico

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

7 March 2013 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Heung jingfu syut bat

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$71,742 (USA) (15 February 2013)

Gross:

$2,341,226 (USA) (14 June 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fabula, Participant Media, Funny Balloons

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.40 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The teaser ad campaign René Saavedra works on throughout the movie is "Bellas y Audaces" (Beautiful and Bold) an actual soap opera that ran on Chilean national television during the first semester of 1988.

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Quotes

Publicista Campaña Sí: [Speaking to the YES Campaign board] If you want to scare people, you have to scare them with their past, their past poverty, long lines to buy bread. The opposition has its cries of socialism, yes. But the only thing that interests people is the scramble, and also they know that socialism is miserable. Instead you have a system in which anyone can be rich. Attention!, not 'everyone'... 'anyone'. You can not lose when all are committed to be that 'anyone'.

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Connections

Featured in Film 2016: Episode dated 6 February 2013 (2013)

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Soundtracks

Vuelvo
Written by Patricio Manns & Horacio Salinas
Performed by Inti-Illimani Histórico

User Reviews

NO does a great deal to make the words and discourse behind an election sound very exciting

NO is the story of the advertising campaign surrounding the 1988 referendum that was supposed to "elect" General Pinochet to another eight years of dictatorship in Chile, win or lose.

Pinochet's government were an arrogant bunch; 15 years of dictatorship will do that to you, to the point that the election was largely seen as a farcical exercise merely to validate his rule.

So, the fact that this election campaign won a seemingly un-winnable election and validate real democracy in that it began the end of Pinochet's rule is still a pretty incredible turn of events.

The film itself tells the story of Rene Saavedra (Gael García Bernal) an in demand advertiser with a troubled home life who spearheads the NO campaign by putting a positive, consumerist spin on it with plenty of humour to be had... www.ravechild.co.uk