THE HYPERBOREANS
A film by Cristóbal León & Joaquín Cociña
Actress and psychologist Antonia Giesen decides to film a script revealed by a voice within the mind of one of her patients. Seeking collaboration with the filmmaking duo León & Cociña, they craft a crossroads of theatre, science fiction, animation and fabulated biopic, populated by parallel worlds and haunted by the shadow of a Chilean Nazi writer as a demonic figure.
Status: Completed
Year: 2024
Genre: Fantasy
Country: Chile
Language: Spanish, German
Available subtitles: English, French, Italian, Portuguese
Runtime: 71 minutes
Original title: Los hiperbóreos
Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña, both born in 1980 in Chile, have been collaborating since 2007. Both attended the Catholic University of Chile, with León furthering his studies at UDK (Berlin) and De Ateliers (Amsterdam). Through their experimental films, León & Cociña offer a fresh interpretation of religious symbolism and magical rituals deeply entrenched in Latin America’s traditional culture. Their film production incorporates various techniques, including photography, drawing, sculpture, dance, and performance. Their stop-motion films are characterized by a raw cinematic language, where papier-mâché figures and innocent-looking drawings starkly contrast with themes such as religion, sex, and death prevalent in their works.
Winners of prestigious awards, their films are regularly featured at international film festivals and showcased in museums and biennials across Latin America. They have exhibited their work at renowned venues such as the Whitechapel Gallery, the Guggenheim Museum NY, KW Berlin, AJG Gallery Seville 2012, Art Basel Hong Kong Film section 2014, the Venice Biennale 2013 (representing Chile in the Latin American pavilion), and Art Basel Statements 2012.
Their debut feature film, “The Wolf House” (2018), garnered acclaim for its innovative approach. Shot in various public locations such as museums, cultural centers, and art galleries, it premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival 2018, earning the Caligari Award in the Forum section. The film has since been screened at over 100 festivals, receiving more than 12 awards and mentions. Three years later, their animated short “Los Huesos” (2021) debuted at the Venice Film Festival, earning the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film.
Their second feature film, “The Hyperboreans,” celebrated its World Premiere at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
FILMOGRAPHY
2024 The Hyperboreans
2021 The Bones (short)
2018 The Wolf House
2013 The Andes (short)
2012 The With and the Lover (short)
2008 Luis (short)
2007 Lucia (short)
CAST
Antonia Giesen
Francisco Visceral Rivera
CREW
Director: Cristóbal León, Joaquín Cociña
Screenplay: Cristóbal León, Joaquín Cociña, Alejandra Moffat
Cinematography: Natalia Medina
Editing: Cristóbal León, Joaquín Cociña, Paolo Caro Silva
Sound: Claudio Vargas
Music: Valo Aguilar
Executive Producer: Catalina Vergara
Production Company: León & Cociña Films, Globo Rojo Films
2024
Cannes Directors’ Fortnight
Shanghai International Film Festival | Cannes Express
Filmfest München | CineRebels Competition
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival | Metal Noir
Lima Film Festival | Latin American Competition
Melbourne International Film Festival | Experimentations
Sydney Underground Film Festival
FIFIGROT – Festival International du Film Grolandais de Toulouse | International Competition
Ayvalik International Film Festival
Helsinki International Film Festival
SLASH! Film Festival
Sitges Film Festival | Noves Visions Competition
Rio de Janeiro IFF | Midnight Movies
Festival du Nouveau Cinéma | New Alchemists Competition · Best Feature Film
Bogotá International Film Festival | Expanded views
Festival Internacional de Cine Contemporáneo Cámara Lúcida
Imagine Fantastic Film Festival | Discovery
Mórbido Film Fest | Latin American Section
Thessaloniki International Film Festival | Film Forward Competition
Janela Internacional de Cinema do Recife
Denver Film Festival
L’Etrange Festival Clermont-Ferrand
Transit Filmfest
Lateinamerikanisches Filmfest
Piccolo Grande Cinema | International Competition
Festival Cinéfil
FILMAR en América Latina | Focus Sud
Energa Camerimage | Artistic Experiments
London International Animation Festival
A bizarre, disturbing, and deeply entertaining work of art.
Redmond Bacon, Journey into Cinema
A poignant, experimental film-warning against political amnesia.
Savina Petkova, The Film Stage
An authentic labour of love that looks wonderfully home-made, like a return to the uncertain but groundbreaking origins of early sci-fi.
Jonathan Holland, Screen Daily