Colonia, directed by Florian Gallenberger and starring Emma Watson and Daniel Brühl, is
a 2015 historical thriller film. The film is set in 1973 Chile, under Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship, and follows a young lady called Lena (played by Watson) as she strives to rescue her lover Daniel (played by Brühl) after he is abducted and transported to the Colonia Dignidad covert prison camp. The Chilean government utilized the camp, which was managed by a German cult leader named Paul Schäfer, to arrest and torture political detainees. The film was released in 2016 and received a Golden Globe nomination.
The colony was notorious for its harsh discipline, forced work, and maltreatment of its residents, many of them were minors. During the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, who came to power in a military coup in 1973, it also functioned as a hub for the manufacturing and distribution of illicit weapons, as well as a location of imprisonment and torture for political detainees.
The plot revolves around a young German lady named Lena, portrayed by Emma Watson, and her lover Daniel, played by Daniel Brühl. Daniel is abducted by Chile's secret police and transported to Colonia Dignidad, where he is tortured and brainwashed. Lena, anxious to save him, infiltrates the colony by posing as a newcomer. As she navigates the hard surroundings of the colony and strives to discover Daniel's location, she meets hurdles and perils.
While the film is a work of fiction, it is based on true events that occurred at Colonia Dignidad and is meant to raise awareness of the human rights violations that occurred there. The film received widespread praise for its performances as well as how it represented torture and human rights violations.
Aside from the film, various books and documentaries have been written about Colonia Dignidad, including "Colonia Dignidad: A Chilean Dictatorship Within a Dictatorship" by Peter Winn and "The Colony" by Joaqun Fernández.
It's also worth noting that numerous former Colonia Dignidad members have been accused of human rights violations and crimes including torture and murder, and some have been convicted and sentenced to prison.
A movie that you can't ignore.
