Sub Terra (2003)

A teacher restarts her relationship with an ex-boyfriend, a coal man who risks his life because of the dangerous conditions.

Director:

Marcelo Ferrari

Writers:

Carlos Doria, José Manuel Fernández

Stars:

Francisco Reyes, Paulina Gálvez, Ernesto Malbran

9 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Francisco Reyes	...	Fernando
Paulina Gálvez	...	Virginia
Ernesto Malbran	...	Mister Davis
Cristián Chaparro	...	Baldomero Lillo
Patricio Bunster	...	Jonás
Nicolás Saavedra	...	Cabeza de Cobre
Consuelo Holzapfel	...	Isidora Goyenechea
Héctor Noguera	...	Luis Cousiño
Alejandro Trejo	...	Eduardo
Mariana Loyola	...	Mercedes
Gabriela Medina	...	María de los Ángeles
Berta Lasala	...	Ana
Danny Foix	...	Pablito
Imara Castagnoli	...	Natividad
Luis Wigdorsky	...	Administrador

Storyline

In 1897, in Lota, Chile, in the face of long days, low pay, debts to the company store, unsafe and deadly working conditions, and widespread child labor, men try to establish a miners' association at one of the largest coal mines in the world. They must face Davis, an iron-fisted and murderous supervisor; there's at least one turncoat, willing to inform on their fellow workers; and, there are passions on all sides, including one between Fernando, a leader of the miners, and Virginia, the godchild of the mine's owners. Can the miners win a victory, and at what cost? Baldomero Lillo, a grocery clerk, records it all.

---

Plot Keywords:

miner | child labor | coal mine | chile | chilean history | 

---

Taglines:

Entre la luz y el infierno. (Between the light and the hell)

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

The coal mine "Chiflón del Diablo" still exists and part of the set was built just outside it. It remains as a touristic attraction. The mine itself can be visited in a tour.

---

Soundtracks

Lo que tú me das
Performed by Julieta Venegas and Anita Tijoux

User Reviews

I'm embarrassed, if only other actors or director had developed it.

The script if by far the worst thing of the movie. It's as though Marcelo Ferrari and the script writers read "GuideLines in making a History Movie": Love story between the miner and the "maestra" (NO ONE says "maestra" in Chile), the nephew of the confused but good-hearted owner of the mine.The acting, at many times embarrassing and exaggerated. The script's fault mainly... And also, when has a miner ever dressed in white? By far too stupid and shallow... When has a Chilean miner referred in any way as the phrase "Camaradas, lo mas importante es la organización!" ("Comrads", The most important thing is organization) I'm not saying that a Chilean miner is not fit to think that, but that is the last literal or grammatical, or morphological way he would express it. There is a huge lack of effort and work to make this a good Chilean movie, it was just like translating a good best seller from Hollywood, add a little Baldomero Lillos, environment: Lota, stir it up and impress it in mediocrity millimeters of film. It's so unfair! Being such a good topic, with so many interesting possibilities to develop artistically, both visuals and the writing. I still cried when the little boy pushes the door inside the mine. There was something good there, very subtle, but it vanishes in the rest of the catastrophe it was for me when I saw it...

Details

Country:

Chile Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

2 October 2003 (Chile)

Also Known As:

Subterra

Filming Locations:

Lota, Chile

Box Office

Budget:

$1,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Infinity Films S.L., Nueva Imagen, TVN Cine Sur

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color