Settlers Flashcards
What is the main subject of The Settlers and who directed it?
(Clue: sequence)
Felipe Gálvez Haberle
The genocide of the Selk’nam Indigenous tribe of Patagonia
The film addresses the unacknowledged history of mass extermination carried out by settler-colonists.
Patagonia (Spanish pronunciation: [pataˈɣonja]) is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers in the west and deserts, tablelands, and steppes to the east.
What literary work is quoted at the beginning of The Settlers?
‘Your sheep become … that they … the very … .‘
‘Your sheep […] become so great devourers […] that they eat up and swallow down the very men themselves.’
Thomas More’s 1516 book Utopia
The quote highlights the destructive nature of colonization.
How does The Settlers frame its narrative structure?
The film is divided into chapters with mythic names
Examples include ‘The King of White Gold’, ‘Half Blood’, ‘The Ends of the Earth’, and ‘The Red Pig’.
What genre does Gálvez’s film initially seem to pay homage to?
In interviews, the director says..?
Spaghetti westerns
… they have been ‘propaganda’ for genocides
However, the filmmaker subverts this genre to critique its propagandistic roots.
Who is José Menéndez in The Settlers?
A Spanish oligarch who seeks to expel the Selk’nam people
He uses the pretext of creating a safe passage for his sheep.
What character accompanies Alexander MacLennan on his journey?
Segundo, a mixed-race mestizo of Indigenous descent
Menéndez fears Segundo’s dubious allegiances.
What does the film’s cinematography by Simone D’Arcangelo emphasize?
The insignificance of the characters against vast landscapes
This creates a disorienting effect through extreme long shots.
What theme is explored through the interactions among the characters in Settlers? Unlike?
Mistrust and suspicion
Unlike traditional westerns, which foster camaraderie.
What shocking event occurs during the journey in The Settlers?
A massacre of the Selk’nam people
This is followed by a horrific moment of sexual violence.
How does The Settlers depict violence in its narrative?
By showing just one graphic incident (much of which is shrouded in fog)
This approach leaves the audience to imagine the extent of other atrocities.
What musical piece marks the transition to the second part of the film?
‘All the Pretty Little Horses’
It is performed in Menéndez’s mansion.
What does the emissary Vicuña represent in the second part of The Settlers?
How do his actions at the very end create ambiguity?
Changing times and a desire for peace with Indigenous people
He insists that Kiepja pour the tea - she is defiant.
He attempts to gather information about MacLennan’s actions.
What is the significance of the film’s conclusion with archival images?
It symbolizes the blood-soaked identity of the nation
The images reflect the violent history of Chile in the early 20th century.
