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SYNOPSIS

Talca Interrupted is a one-hour documentary about the meaning of home in the aftermath of the February 27th, 2010 earthquake in Chile. In the city of Talca, 6500 homes were damaged or destroyed by the quake and a year and a half later, only 12 have been rebuilt through government subsidies.

Talca Interrupted uncovers the human face in the wreckage of these alarming statistics. This is not a film about politicsthe politics merely set the stage for a dreamlike meditation on survival. Three characters with conflicting social pressures are bound together by the transformations of the devastating event in the neighbourhood of Seminario.

We see Pedro, owner of a destroyed liquor store, re-born as a community leader carrying the burdens of his neighbours whilst constantly revisiting his past life through abandoned sites of destruction. Ester moved to Talca from the country to work in a factory that is now in ruin. Trapped in her present, she works as a cleaner, living in a temporary shack (mediagua) surrounded by the crumbling brick walls of the destroyed life she is fighting to recover.

Architect, Jose Luis is determined to destroy his half demolished childhood home in order to build a prosperous future for himself and his community. Through this documentary, we see three regular people transformed and united by the will of human survival. In traversing a timeline of this post-disaster city through their past memories, present realities and future goals, Talca Interrupted explores how we calibrate our identity in pivotal times of crisis.

BREVE SINOPSIS

"Talca Interrumpted" es un documental de una hora sobre el significado de "hogar" en las postrimeras de terremoto en Chile del 27 de febrero de 2010. En la ciudad de Talca, 6.500 casas fueron daadas o destruidas por el sismo y un ao y medio ms tarde, slo 12 han sido reconstruidas a travs de subsidios del gobierno.

"Talca Interrupted" descubre el rostro humano detrs de estas alarmantes estadsticas. Tres personajes en conflicto con las presiones sociales estn unidos por las transformaciones de un evento devastador en el barrio Seminario. Pedro (dueo de una tienda de licores destruida), renace como lder de la comunidad, llevando en sus espaldas la responsabilidad de ayudar a sus vecinos, mientras revisa su pasado a travs de los sitios abandonados que dej la destruccin.

Ester se traslad a Talca desde el interior del pas para trabajar en una fbrica que ahora est en ruinas. Atrapada en su presente, trabaja como limpiadora, vive en una mediagua rodeada por las paredes de ladrillo desmoronadas de su vida anterior y lucha por recuperarse. El arquitecto Jos Luis est decidido a destruir lo que queda de su casa de infancia para construer un future prspero para l y su comunidad.

A travs de este documental, vemos a tres personas comunes transformadas y unidas por la voluntad de la supervivencia humana. Al revisar el pasado de esta ciudad despus del desastre, las realidades actuales y las metas futuras, "Talca Interrumpted" explora cmo ajustar nuestra identidad en pocas de crisis.

BACKGROUND

On the 27th February 2010 at 3:34 local time, a devastating earthquake struck the Chilean coast of the Maule Region. The city of Talca, located 200km from the epicenter of the 8.8 Richter scale quake, became an unrecognizable landscape of debris, and as a result 20,000 jobs were lost and 6,500 homes were damaged or destroyed. Most importantly the spirit of the people remains broken. And so, the earthquake was not only a disaster of tangible and material things but also a disaster of human identity.

The first peoples movement for fair reconstruction began in Talca following the earthquake, Talca con Todos (All in for Talca). Following its establishment, many partner groups began to appear throughout Chile and eventually The National Movement for Fair Reconstruction was formed which is still operating and protesting and petitioning the government for normal living rights for the post-earthquake victims. The three main characters in the film, Pedro, Ester and Jose Luis all reside within the same 6 blocks of the neighbourhood Seminario where only 1% of the home have been rebuilt after the earthquake, which equates to only three homes. Three homes in over 365 days.

In March 2011, Nora Niasari was invited to collaborate with a group of architects, designers and social NGOs from Chicago and Santiago who were working on a community reconstruction project located in Talca. During this research trip, these international initiatives allowed Nora to gain unique access to community leaders and residents. The film is based on the transformation of three local residents Pedro, Ester and Jose Luis who are real and all committed to the ongoing production and completion of the film. Whilst this is a Chilean story, it deeply addresses the physical & psychological traumas of natural disasters plaguing many parts of the world today including Japan, New Zealand and South-East Asia. This story is not only dwells on the struggles of post-earthquake recovery but also the bare essentials of human survival.

ANTECEDENTES

En la noche del 27 febrero de 2010, a las 03:34 hora local, un devastador terremoto sacudi la costa chilena de la Regin del Maule. La ciudad de Talca, situada a 200 km del epicentro del terremoto 8,8 en la escala de Richter, se convirti en un irreconocible paisaje de escombros. Como resultado, 20.000 personas perdieron sus empleos, 6.500 viviendas resultaron daadas o destruidas y, despus de transcurrido un ao y medio, solamente 12 viviendas se han reconstruido a travs de subsidios del gobierno. Ms importante an, es que el espritu de la gente sigue destruido. Por lo tanto, el terremoto no solo fue un desastre relacionado con cosas materiales, sino tambin un desastre para la identidad humana.

El primer movimiento popular para una reconstruccin justa comenz en la ciudad de Talca tras el terremoto: "Talca con Todos". Despus de su creacin, muchos grupos asociados comenzaron a aparecer en todo Chile y, eventualmente, se form el "Movimiento Nacional por la Reconstruccin Justa", el cual sigue funcionando, protestando y solicitando al gobierno la garanta de los derechos de vida normal de las vctimas del terremoto. Los tres personajes principales en la pelcula, Pedro, Ester y Jos Luis, residen en Seminario, un barrio de 6 cuadras. Despus del terremoto, en este barrio solo se han reconstruido 3 viviendas, lo que equivale al 1% del total de casas. Tres hogares, en ms de 365 das.

En marzo de 2011, la directora Nora Niasari fue invitada a colaborar con un grupo de arquitectos, diseadores y organizaciones sociales no gubernamentales de Chicago y Santiago para trabajar en un proyecto de reconstruccin de Talca. Este viaje de investigacin le permiti a Nora tener acceso exclusivo a los lderes comunitarios y residentes de Talca.

La pelcula se basa en los cambios personales de Pedro, Ester y Jos Luis, los cuales estn comprometidos con la produccin de la pelcula. Si bien esta es una historia de Chile, este documental mostrara que los traumas fsicos y psicolgicos de los desastres naturales plagan muchas partes del mundo, incluyendo a Japn, Nueva Zelanda e Indonesia.

THIS PROJECT IS TIME CRITICAL!

There is an extremely time-critical aspect to the project. One of the main characters of the film, Jose Luis is demolishing his childhood home at the beginning of September, which is a central part of the entire film. We need to get coverage in his home for the re-enactment scenes & other interviews before this happens as well as shooting the actual demolition. As previously discussed in the films trailer and description, the film explores the lives of three residents and their inner conflicts to find the meaning of home in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Chile. 

WHAT WE NEED

I am working with a small production team including Chilean filmmaker Dani Ibaceta who will act as the assistant director, award-winning Chilean Composer Jorge Aliaga, Art Director Mara Grinbergs and Production Designer Mandi Bialek-Wester. In March 2011, we obtained initial photography, interviews and on ground research. With our target goal of $8,000 we will continue the film over a period of four weeks (28 days) in September 2011 to cover the time-critical footage of the residents. We will spend these four weeks on re-enactment scenes and following the activities of Jose Luis and the demolishment of his childhood home, Pedro's activities within community reconstruction and Ester's fight to rebuild her home. With this footage we will put together a new demo reel to apply for more funding to complete the production of the film. 

The money raised in this campaign will cover the costs of return travel from Australia to Chile for the filmmaker, accommodation, daily expenses and art department costs for the team (Director, Assistant Director, Art Director, Production Designer) in Talca. Our budget is as follows:

- 1 Return Ticket with from Melbourne (AU) to Santiago (CH) = $2,400

- Accommodation in Talca  (4 people) at $15 per night (28 nights) = $1,680

- Daily expenses (4 people) at $30 per person/per day (28 days) = $3,360

- Art Department (props, lighting equipment, materials) for 8 re-enactment scenes: $560

= $8,000

WHAT YOU GET

Over the duration of the films development, photographs, journal entries, interviews and footage will be uploaded for your viewing onto our website www.talcainterrupted.com. Upon the completion of the film, it will be viewable online and prepared for DVD distribution. There are rewards for every donation including DVDs of the completed film, publications, film credits, t-shirts, artworks and illustrations. Please support the film and share with your networks to help raise awareness of post-disaster cities in your world today!

SPREAD THE WORD!

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