Nostalgia for the Light

2010

1h 30m

Documentary

List

100%

Tomatometer

48 Reviews

84%

Audience Score

2,500+ Ratings

In Chile's Atacama Desert, widows search for the bones of loved ones, left by Pinochet's atrocities.

Read More

Read Less

Prime Video

Rent Nostalgia for the Light on Prime Video, or buy it on Prime Video.

Tim Robey

Daily Telegraph (UK)

A seriously remarkable documentary-essay from the Chilean filmmaker Patricio Guzmn.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 13, 2012

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

This is one of the films of the year.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 12, 2012

Full Review

Nigel Andrews

Financial Times

You wait all year for a thought-provoking movie-essay on life, art, science or history. Then in Nostalgia for the Light all four arrive together.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 12, 2012

Full Review

Jordan M. Smith

IONCINEMA.com

Nostalgia For The Light is a gorgeously contemplative masterpiece by a supreme filmmaker who's questions leave us with a sense of wonder and our own new mysteries to ponder.

Rated: 4.5/5

Nov 19, 2020

Full Review

David Harris

Spectrum Culture

Nostalgia for the Light does nothing with bombast.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 6, 2019

Full Review

Daniel Green

CineVue

For those who like a bit of auterism to their astronomy, however, Guzmán's mesmeric Nostalgia for the Light tells us far more about what's happening/has happened down here that what's transpiring up there.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 26, 2019

Full Review

Read all reviews

Liam D

An fascinating and interesting documentary about looking into the cosmos that might introduce new people into that space

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/04/24

Full Review

William L

There is a lot to like about this Patricio Guzmán documentary - sharp visuals, a sincere tragedy to document, and an interesting premise (the parallels between those that search the past for cosmic truth and those that do so for personal closure). Nostalgia for the Light captures the tragedy of the Chilean identity of recent decades well (or at least it seems so looking from the outside in), as wounds remain raw while many wish to sweep yesterday's injustices under the rug. To those that resonate with the experiences of the film's subjects, it seems to strike a particularly powerful and melanchlolic chord. But as soon as a documentary begins to talk about the vast unknown of the universe with nothing beyond how we should marvel at how vast and unknown it is, I immediately check out. You can plug and play sentiments like that into any serious documentary, and they can be made to mean anything; it feels like listening to your college buddies getting high in your living room and spouting off whatever seems 'impactful'. And sadly, Guzmán opened the film with that. Those sections are nicely shot, but I realized it wasn't to my tastes from then on; still, very tastefully done with respect to the 'disappeared' dissidents, their families, and those left to pick up the pieces. Comes together later in the runtime. (2.5/5)

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/10/22

Full Review

Audience Member

tout simplement sublime..!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Intermingling of stories, science, life, human nature, sadness and truth. How fragile the fabric of human culture is and the realization of how easy it is for it to break down.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Patricio Guzmán has woven a beautiful documentary from the personal quests of Chilean people seeking to locate the remains of their loved ones in the desert where dictator Augusto Pincoche banished them. These themes work perfectly against the backdrop of man's quest for the stars and the high visibility of the night sky from this perspective.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

At its worst this is a tedious attempt to stretch a tendentious link between astronomy and the disappeared of Chile. At it's best it is a great reminder of the vastness of the universe and how we are all products of the universe's component parts. Has a powerful ability to remind you of dust to dust. It also acts as a great testament to the memory of the disappeared and the sheer terror and wickedness of the Pinochet regime. My rating is a bit harsh maybe but it felt drawn out and boring for too much of the film. Could have wiped half an hour from this documentary without losing too much.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Patricio Guzmán

Director

Valentina Rodríguez

Actor

Patricio Guzmán

Writer

Verónica Rosselot

Executive Producer

Meike Martens

Producer

Renate Sachse

Producer

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

54%

69%

South of the Border

95%

94%

The Cove

100%

83%

They Killed Sister Dorothy

98%

87%

Marwencol

100%

94%

How to Die in Oregon

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Critics Consensus: Paul Is Sweet Sci-Fi Fun

View more photos

Synopsis

In Chile's Atacama Desert, widows search for the bones of loved ones, left by Pinochet's atrocities.

Director: Patricio Guzmán
Producer: Verónica Rosselot
Screenwriter: Patricio Guzmán
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Spanish
Release Date (Streaming): May 10, 2016
Runtime: 1h 30m

Most Popular at Home Now