Nostalgia for the Light

A documentary by director Patricio Guzman.

Chile’s arid Atacama desert is an ideal locale for stargazers, archaeologists, and for military death squads to dispose of their victims. While astronomers study the skies for clues to the origins of existence, a group of old women sift through the dirt for traces of thousands of dissidents who vanished during the Pinochet dictatorship. This poetic and sensitive documentary draws touching parallels between these two teams of truth-seekers. The celestial visuals are breathtaking, as are the portraits of the women, still hopeful after 30 years of searching that they will find their lost loved ones’ remains. (Chile, 90 min.) 3 1/2 out of 4 stars