Although Chile?s vibrant film culture gave birth in 1962 to the important international film festival at Vi?a del Mar, it is difficult to speak of a Chilean national cinema until the late 1960s. In the brief moment of Salvador Allende?s presidency (1970-73), Chilean national cinema blossomed. Most of Chile?s filmmakers supported Allende?s Popular Unity coalition government. Despite political, ideological, and economic difficulties, they managed to make an unprecedented number of films, both independently and with state aid given through national universities, the Ministries of Agriculture a
