The Dark Side of the White Lady

The Esmeralda is one of the most beautiful sailing vessels in the world. A symbol of national pride, she is the Chilean navy's training vessel. But today, the White Lady, as she is affectionately known to Chileans, can no longer hide her troubled past. After the 1973 coup d'état, she was used as a floating prison in the port of Valparaíso. Thirty years later, as the military authorities continue to deny what happened, impunity reigns. Yet the victims of the dictatorship refuse to be silenced and they are demanding justice.

In The Dark Side of the White Lady, Patricio Henríquez seeks to unravel the lies told for "reasons of state" and comprehend how such horrors could emerge from a thing of such beauty. Going to the other side of the mirror to question appearances, the film represents a duty to remember and a fascinating journey to the heart of Valparaíso, a city that holds all the contradictions of the Chilean soul.