Santiago, Italia

The Chilean spring of Salvador Allende's 1970 presidential victory met bitter winter three years later with a military coup that not only destroyed Allende and his dreams but sought to destroy his followers with torture and executions. This era has attracted documentarians and dramatists, yet Nanni Moretti opens a new window on the past through the stories of the Italian Embassy in the besieged capital, which offered hope - and indeed, salvation - to 250 Chileans caught in the maelstrom. Moretti's surprising appearance in the film even reflects his intentions behind this documentary.