"A very moving film. What a journey. And thank you for remembering our tragedy and our struggles."

~Ariel Dorfman, Author, "Death and the Maiden"; "The Suicide Museum"

“The film makes its own syncretism by combining musical style with the cinematographic language of the great masters. It is the camera handling of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless, the box of surprises of Citizen Kane, the ambivalence of fiction and reality of François Truffaut’s The American, but also the narrative and scenic skill of Peter Greenaway.”

~José Blanco Jiménez , Journalist

"A fascinating and beautiful work"

– Dick Flacks, sociology professor U. C. Santa Barbara

"Intimate, moving—often painfully so. A lovely film." 

– Marina Chicurel

"A masterpiece - Love & Justice is thoughtful, beautiful and very important."

~Joan Rutkowski

" A tragic, moving story. One hell of an accomplishment!!"

~Raiford Rogers, Choreographer

"Love and Justice is such a beautiful and powerful film."

~H. Leslie Steeves | Professor and Senior Associate Dean | School of Journalism and Communication

From Anthony Rauld, professor of Chilean Studies, American Studies, Universidad de Chile, Santiago:

"I was very moved and stunned, really, by what you were able to achieve using the audiovisual language. There are so many elements and levels (and emotions) to the film that it will take a while to digest it all. 

Just in terms of the cinematography, the way you captured Valparaiso (the streets, the artwork, the ascensores, the sunsets, the port, the ghostly hills, the rain, the clouds, the animals, etc.) and the musicians, singers, performers (especially Belen)...very beautiful photography. And the montage/edit is seamless. In particular, I loved the way you integrated all the different materials (photographs, documents, letters, film footage, audio footage) into the flow of the story. 

And, of course, you pull off something that I imagine was a challenge, which was how to integrate the main elements and themes that you envisioned for this story, which on paper, or in one's head, probably fit together nicely, but to do that for the screen is another story, and I was truly impressed and inspired by your ability to do precisely that. I never once got the impression that any of the main elements were forced, which was probably a risk. 

You have the story of Jorge Peña Hen's murder / execution (and the brutality of the coup, the dictatorship, and in particular of the Caravana de la Muerte ), you have his granddaughter's life story, her preparation and performance/reincarnation, you have the story of these amazing (young) musicians and singers assembling in an abandoned building on a hill (aptly called Prison Hill) in Valparaiso (which also emerges as a protagonist), and everything that probably went into capturing the magic that was going on there (the sound, the light, the physical space and the natural elements, the opera performers, their movements, interactions, etc.), you have the opera Fidelio itself, and the backstory to that, integrated into the actual performance of the opera, which is unveiled incrementally and progressively throughout the film, marking key dramatic moments related to the main narrative.

By the way, it is truly moving when the main opera singers, Fidelio/Leonore and Florestan, emerge and embrace and kiss towards the end of the film with such power, the opera itself (and your film) transforming these rather "piola" looking, but very talented, artists into larger than life conduits for Beethoven's passion; also fantastic is the governor of the prison, who personifies the merciless tyranny and brutality of Pinochet and the military. Now that I think about it, the true meaning and gravity of the performance of the opera, and of Belen's parallel performance as well, is probably only fully perceived/appreciated towards the end of the film when the significance of the main story (Peña Hen, his daughter and granddaughter, his wife, the brutality of the military, etc.) begins to sink in.

The triumph of marital love, the liberation of Florestan in the opera (even the prisoners' chorus), and ultimately the film itself become a surrogate for Peña Hen's liberation, which tragically never materializes. In your film, one element depends on the others for its true revelation, and vice versa. And finally you have yourself, the narrator, and your own story that you tell of how you ended up in Chile, in Valpo, and how Beethoven changed your life, becoming a kind of "theoretical framework" for your recent films, and an effective one for understanding Chile's past, 50 years later. I would also include here the stories of Beethoven that you tell so that the audience can really understand, on a more explicit level, his music and know where he's coming from essentially.

Not everyone can so easily understand, feel, appreciate Beethoven or classical music in general, and you educate the audience in this respect, and very eloquently. So all these elements come together to tell one seamless and powerful story that transcends time, space, culture, and language. It is remarkable. 

And thinking more generally, I would say that there is a kind of defiance present in the film, a defiance that is transmitted through Beethoven's music (and the ghost of Beethoven, wandering the hills of Valparaiso), and is capable of galvanizing a new generation of Chileans. In a context of renewed efforts to justify the coup, and to minimize the crimes committed by civilians and the military during the dictatorship, your film doesn't just help us remember the horrors that were inaugurated 50 years ago, it also reminds us of the underlying (and universal) struggle for love and justice in the face of cruelty and suffering, represented in part by Allende's lifelong commitment to improving the lives of Chileans, but also by the posterior struggles of ordinary men and women, during the dictatorship and after, who fought to keep the memory of their loved ones alive, and who continue to fight for their dream of a better society."

* * *

"Poignant, mysterious, risky, and brilliant."

– Ben Lamarca

"Love & Justice proves that classical music can inspire and educate anyone. It’s not meant to be a rarified experience. Love and Justice is a moving film, with grand artistry on display."

 – Jill Brooke, Telluride Daily Planet

"Unique and beautiful piece! I think Beethoven would have appreciated what you did, which is to bring the eternal part of his work into the present. Bravo!"

– Jan Swafford, Author of Beethoven: Anguish and Triumph

"I am quite puzzlingly drained, yet remarkably inspired by the film. Masterfully done to extraordinary impact."

–  Dave Murphy

"An awe inspiring film."

– Diane Powell

"You and your co-creators have unfolded a powerful as well as beautiful piece of art."

– Corrine

"The film is lovely, compelling, poetic, mysterious, painful, magical and human."

– Ed Barguiarena

"We are moved beyond words. The film is exquisite."

– Stephanie

"This film is such a great way to approach Beethoven with this opera.  It’s a powerful story, terrific. I was hooked from the beginning."

– Larry Delinger, composer

"Brilliantly interwoven musical/Beethoven themes and stunning performances."

– Lindsey Reed

"It was spectacular! So happy I was there. I will be thinking about it for a long, long time."

– JR

"Another brilliant achievement, a haunting film."

– Rhona Gordon

"A Wonderful, thought provoking, and timely film."

– Ron Rule

"Fabulous and inspirational."

– Karen Warrick

"It is such an outstanding film! You hit it out of the ballpark again!"

– Valarie Ganley, documentary filmmaker.