Chile, at the end of the 19th century. José Menéndez (Alfredo Castro), a rich landowner, hires three horsemen to mark out the perimeter of his expansive property and delineate a new trade route. The expedition, composed of Segundo (Camilo Arancibia), a young mixed-race tracker, American mercenary Bill (Benjamin Westfall), and led by the reckless British army captain MacLennon (Mark Stanley), soon turns into a macabre mission to clear the land of indigenous people for the powerful, relentless man who owns it. In his debut feature, Felipe Gálvez Haberle explores a crucial part of Chile’s colonial past in a visually stunning period drama that highlights the gulf between truth and history. Taking its cue from the classic American western, The Settlers is an immersive tale of brutal colonialist violence set against a stunning geographical backdrop.

There will be Open Captioned screenings at 16.00 on Tuesday 13th and 20.50 on Thursday 15th.

Notes by David O’Mahony