The Battle of Chile: Part II

The second part of Patricio Guzmán's three-part documentary opens with the first attempted coup in June 1973 and follows the erosion of Allende's position through to 11 September. Guzmán and a crew of five filmed events as they happened, in the street: strikes, demonstrations, parliamentary argument and the army's preparations all go on the record. Its best known moment is Argentine cameraman Leonardo Henrichsen filming a soldier taking aim at him, the camera flung skyward after the shot; that image of a man recording his own killing also says what the documentary cost to make. The film ends with the bombing of the presidential palace and Allende's death. The material was smuggled out and edited in Cuba. Who it's for: viewers who want serious political documentary and Latin American history. Who it's not for: anyone not prepared for footage of a death as it happens and for direct violence.