About the Video

Logos Production presents:
An insightful documentary into the life of
Chile’s revolutionary poet Fernando Alegría

¡Viva Chile Mierda!

This documentary film is a humanistic portrayal of one of the most influential figures from Chile and a key figure in the advancement of Latino culture in the United States of America.

Alegría’s Viva Chile Mierda, the most recited poem of the Allende era, was written in the sixties. In the sixties the world was set on fire. It was a tumultuous time. Love and rebellion were key words under which youth rallied to change the world. It was the time of the Black Panthers; the free speech movement; peace marches; the sexual revolution; visions of social justice; it was the time when Fernando Alegría was a professor at UC Berkeley; it was also the time of the University Without Walls movement that responded to the call of universal higher education.

The Western Institute for Social Research (WISR), a multicultural academic institution for community involved adults, is the legitimate child of that time and that movement. The legacy goes on. To honor Alegría’s support for the ideals of this institution since its inception, fifty percent of the profits of this film will go to WISR. (www.wisr.edu)

Fernando Alegría grew up in the Independencia barrio of Santiago de Chile. This barrio was filled with the dreams of immigrants from all over the world and gave birth to the lyrical voices of Pablo Neruda, Violeta Parra, Volodia Teitelboim, and gave Alegría not only his voice but also his indomitable spirit of rebellion and sense of national identity.

As an academic, visionary, writer and revolutionary Alegría brought prestige and legitimacy to the Spanish language in the United States of America at a time when children were punished in schools for speaking their native tongues. Fernando Alegría’s works, both factual or fictional, capture the spirit of the people and places they depict. His gift of being able to articulate the feelings of a people, and to do so in a witty, reflective, and lyrically beautiful manner has endeared Alegría to his countrymen and earned him recognition from many literary and cultural icons such as Thomas Mann, Allen Ginsberg, Angela Davis and Joan Baez.

• Running Time: Approximately one Hour
• Producer/Director: Uwe Blesching
• Co-Producer: Marcia Campos
• Editors: Daniel Baer & Sarah Harbin
• Music: Rafael Manriquez
• Photos by: Alejandro Stuart
• Cover and Web Design: Tim Sunderman