Francisco Reyes Movies

A passionate romance smolders as struggling miners rise up against their bosses in this period drama set in the late 19th century. Luis (Héctor Noguera) is a wealthy and powerful man who owns a coal-mining operation in Chile. Luis' daughter Virginia (Paulina Gálvez) has just completed her studies to become a schoolteacher when her mother dies of a lingering illness, and she comes home to be with her family. As Virginia's godmother, Isidora (Consuelo Holzapfel), takes over the day-to-day affairs of the estate, Luis turns over the chores of overseeing the mines to his assistant, a ruthless man named Davis (Ernesto Malbran), so he may pursue his own interests. While Luis has long taken a casual attitude toward the welfare of his employees, Davis regards the miners with little more than contempt, and under his watch, poverty spreads and conditions become increasingly dangerous. As Virginia becomes the new teacher at the local school, she learns that her former boyfriend Fernando (Francisco Reyes) is working as a miner, and they soon rekindle their love affair. But Fernando has become aligned with Jonás (Patricio Bunster), a labor activist who is trying to unionize the miners and strip Luis and Davis of their power over the community. Sub Terra received its North American premiere at the 2004 Los Angeles Latino Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Political unrest helps spawn and destroy a friendship between two schoolboys in this drama. In Chile in 1973, as the leadership of socialist president Salvador Allende was coming under fire from the nation's military leaders and the leaders of several powerful Western nations (including the United States), many in the country were inspired to address the issues of the vast gulf between Chile's rich and poor. Father McEnroe (Ernesto Malbran), one of the headmasters of an exclusive private school, decides to confront this matter by giving a handful of poor children a full scholarship. Pedro Machuca (Ariel Mateluna) is one of the new students, and while he and his fellows are picked on by the school's bullies, Pedro is a brave kid who stands his ground, and he's soon befriended by Gonzalo Infante (Matías Quer), whose rich parents live in Santiago's wealthy suburbs. Gonzalo's family is standing on shaky ground these days; his mother (Aline Küppenheim) is having an affair, and his father (Francisco Reyes) finds himself at odds with her increasingly right-wing political views. Gonzalo begins spending more time with Pedro and his family; he particularly likes Uncle Willi (Alejandro Trejo), who cheerfully sells flags to Chileans on both sides of the political fence, and develops a crush on Silvana (Manuela Martelli), Pedro's older cousin. But the political and economic differences that are dividing the country find their way into the school, leading to a rift between the two friends. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi