Colonia Critique Paper

Colonia, or also known as The Colony, was a film based on true historical events that

happened in a Nazi cult named Colonia Dignidad. The main characters were portrayed by Emma

Watson as Lena and Daniel Brühl as Daniel. The historical drama and romance film was directed

by Florian Gallenberger and was set in Chile around 1970s. Although the film was too brutal and

contains sensitive content, it succeeded in showcasing the different issues of the society present

during the military dictatorship in Chile.

The story is about how a flight attendant in Chile named Lena saved her boyfriend,

Daniel. Daniel is an activist that creates posters or captures images that can be used against the

military dictatorship. When Lena was on her vacation, she spent her days with Daniel. Before her

vacation ends, military coup was ordered by General Pinochet to arrest everyone that opposing

the current government. Daniel was captured and taken at Colonia Dignidad, a Nazi cult ran by

Paul Schafer. Violence was used to Daniel for him to tell what he knows about the former

administration. He was tortured and his mental health was severely affected. Meanwhile, Lena

was worried about her boyfriend and decided to find him and save him from being held by the

military force. Her determination and willingness took her to the hands of abusive Paul Schafer.

To be able to save her boyfriend, Lena must survive the hardships and violence inside the

Colonia Dignidad.

The film was amusing for it showcased various social issues during the military

dictatorship in Chile. Except for the perceivable physical and mental abuse, issues such as:

patriarchal system, abuse of power, deprivation of freedom, and pedophilia were present in the

film. The patriarchal system and abuse in power comes hand-in-hand as they abuse their

superiority as men. These issues were evident in the film. Men and women were segregated,
women were always the one who do the work and the Colonia Dignidad was ran by a man. As a

woman, it is saddening that women during that time (even at present times) were considered

lower or weaker than men, wherein in reality both genders have the capability of being superior.

Next was the deprivation of freedom for they are not allowed to leave the premises of Colonia

Dignidad, and almost treated like prisoners. And lastly, pedophilia was also present as the leader

was shown that has been sexually assaulting children. I felt anger and hatred towards Paul

Schafer for making an innocent child’s childhood miserable.

However, while watching the film, I felt uncomfortable for the scenes showed the

torment and torture that have been experienced by the victims of Colonia Dignidad. Just like the

scene where Doro, a lady that serves in Colonia Dignidad, was beaten by numerous men. The

physical and mental pain she experienced were too much that made her felt like she was already

dead. The pain was relatable even though I did not experience it first-hand in a way that I once

lost hope in living my life because of the sufferings I have encountered. Also, the heinous acts

that were committed by Paul Schafer were intolerable for me because I, personally, fear and hate

violence. The oppressiveness of Paul Schafer made me remember the bullying I have

experienced when I was still a child. The level of violence may not be equal with the movie, but

the trauma it brought us will be the same.

Yet, I felt amazed on how different problems existing in the society were effectively

shown in the movie. The scenes and plot were realistic that made me connect the film in the

reality and be able to identify the issues presented. Even though I did not live during the military

dictatorship in Chile, I felt the pain and sufferings of the victims and was affected by the movie

because the story of Colonia was based from true events and was portrayed efficiently.
 The film has a good quality and is interesting because it is relatable to the society of the

real world. Though some scenes from the movie were disturbing and alarming because of the

clear graphics of torture and human abuse, it is still worth-watching for it is educational in terms

of social and political issues and history of Chile. The film will challenge your knowledge on

current events for it shows different social issues and your critical-thinking for it will test how

you will relate the scenes in the film to the society.