Bad Influence

Claudia Huaiquimilla's 2017 Chilean film follows Tano, a young man sent south. His mother sends him to his father after trouble, and there he meets Cheo, who is Mapuche. The subject is two young people excluded for different reasons. Tano is a target because he comes from the city, Cheo because of his identity; the narrative shows the discrimination at school and in the town through everyday detail, with the question of land in the background. The director is of Mapuche descent and this is her first feature. The cast is largely local and non-professional. The narrative shows the violence without blaming the boys, and the close is left open. Who it's for: those who follow Chilean cinema and narratives about indigenous communities. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a narrative that reaches resolution; the film does not close the matter.