Juan Cifuentes Mera
Born in Santiago de Chile, Juan Cifuentes Mera is a filmmaker graduated from Universidad Católica de Chile. In 2020 he premiered “The Eyes of the Toad” (documentary), winner of best short film at FECICH 12 and winner of the Juan Downey Contest at the 15 Santiago Biennial of Media Arts. His second short film, "Behind Closed Doors" (fiction), co-directed with Javiera Cordero, premiered at the Lebu Film Festival in 2022. His latest short film, "Corrupted" (Hybrid) premiered at Hot Docs 2022.
My Work
Corrupted
Creator: Juan Cifuentes Mera
Each year there are more than 1,000 Electroconvulsive Therapy sessions carried out in hospitals throughout Chile. This is a treatment given to people all around the world, with one of the most common side effects being memory loss, oftentimes severe and permanent.With Corrupted I want to show this reality through Andrea, a character composed of different testimonies from individuals who contributed to the constructionof the story, in order to tell the story of this invisible pain that is very present in our current society in Chile and other countries around the world.
La Junta
Creator: Juan Cifuentes Mera
October 18, 2019. Chile woke up. As millions take to the streets to protest against the government, the president and his collaborators decide to supress the citizens with police brutality. Images recorded in the present merge with voices from the days of Pinochet and his allies, reminding us of the dark past that repeats itself in modern day Chile.
The Eyes of the Toad
Creator: Juan Cifuentes Mera
Crime is at an all-time high in the wealthiest neighborhoods in Santiago, or so the high class people of Chile thinks. The government feeds this paranoia by setting up Israeli surrveillance balloons to fight crime in these areas. These state of the art devices can record 24/7, watching everything and everyon, ignoring any type of privacy people may have.