Blanquita, Chile’s Official Oscar entry for 2022 for International Best Film Category will be released in the US, opening on Friday, December 9 at Cinema Village in New York City, and at Laemmle Glendale in Los Angeles.

Directed by Fernando Guzzoni, Blanquita had its world premiere in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival this year, where Guzzoni won the Best Screenplay prize.

Young actress Laura López debuts as an 18-year-old resident of a foster home, who is a key witness in a trial against powerful politicians and businessmen implicated in a child sex scandal. As questions are asked, her role in the scandal becomes unclear. Award-winning veteran actor Alejandro Goic co-stars as a priest who runs the home where the young woman lives. Other cast members include Amparo Noguera, Marcelo Alonso and Daniela Ramirez.

The feature is inspired by the real-life early 2000s Spiniak Case involving a child prostitution ring which provided services to a number of high-placed politicians and businessmen in Chile. The case divided public opinion in Chile as it went through the courts, with doubts being cast on the testimony of key witness who was caught up in the ring as a minor and accused two senators of abusing her. Guzzoni spent a year investigating the case in-depth before writing his screenplay.

Watch the trailer for Blanquita.

Blanquita is Guzzoni’s fourth feature after La Colorina, Carne de Perro (Dog Flesh) and Jesús. The film’s Director of Photography is Benjamín Echazarreta, who lensed Gloria, A Fantastic Woman before Blanquita.

Guzzoni said, “The idea was that the films ‘look’ should have overtones of a thriller, feel ‘wintery’ and have a very defined, yet not clinical look. We decided to work with two different types of lenses this time, some dating back to the 1950s and some of them modern, combining both aesthetics as a result. Building up a certain atmosphere that would hopefully feel claustrophobic and nightmarish to the viewer.”