Cristobal Valenzuela Berríos is a Chilean film director and screenwriter, born in Santiago, Chile, in 1964.
Valenzuela Berríos graduated from the Catholic University of Chile in 1987 with a degree in Social Communication. After his studies, he moved to Paris to pursue his career in cinema. He worked as an assistant director in several French productions.
In 1996, Valenzuela Berríos wrote and directed La Fuga, a romantic comedy about a young Chilean woman who moves to Paris to pursue her dreams. The film was well received in Chile and abroad, and was selected to be shown at various film festivals around the world.
In 2000, Valenzuela Berríos wrote and directed his second feature film, El Desierto. It was an exploration of the lives of illegal immigrants from Chile who make their way to the United States in search of a better life. The film earned him several awards, including the critics’ prize at the Havana Film Festival.
In 2003, Valenzuela Berríos wrote and directed his third feature film, Rojo Amanecer. The film tells the story of a family of political refugees who are persecuted by the military dictatorship in Chile. It was selected to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004.
Throughout his career, Valenzuela Berríos has continued to explore the human experience and its relation to politics and society. His films have been praised for their aesthetic qualities, as well as their exploration of complex themes.
Valenzuela Berríos has recently completed his fourth feature film, El Reino de los Cielos, which is set during the dictatorship in Chile and follows a group of young people’s struggle to survive and find freedom. The film is currently in post-production.
Throughout his career, Valenzuela Berríos has been committed to exploring the human experience through cinema. His films have been praised for their aesthetic qualities, as well as their exploration of complex themes. He is one of the most prominent Chilean filmmakers of his generation and has earned international acclaim for his work.
