Embassy of Chile presents
Bad Influence
Mala junta
Chile 2016 90 min.
Drama
Director: Claudia Huaiquimilla
Cast: Francisco Pérez-Bannen,  Francisca Gavilán,  Ariel Mateluna, Sebastián Ayala,

Using as a backdrop the ongoing violent conflict between Chile’s indigenous Mapuche communities and the forces who want to strip them of their lands, Claudia Huaiquimilla’s urgent and wrenching first feature-length film focuses on the burgeoning friendship between two teenagers.  Tano, a rebellious teenager from Santiago, is caught stealing and therefore sent to southern Chile under the care of his father, whom he hasn’t seen in years. Avoiding the discipline that’s imposed on him, Tano meets Cheo, a young and shy boy who is bullied at school for his indigenous origins. The strange death of a Mapuche leader unleashes a spree of violence in the area, forcing Tano and Cheo to unite against their violent surroundings.