Alone on a soundstage surrounded by abandoned pasteboard sets, actress & psychiatrist Antonia Giesen roams the liminal studio while ruminating on her experiences. She ponders upon a failed film project that never saw the light of day after its negatives were reportedly stolen. Through her own voice, she reclaims her autonomy by inventing new stories about Chile’s political past. In the process, the once-barren soundstage is brought to life through cutting-edge pixelation. Through the self-referential medium, Giesen explores the origins of her botched project by examining the life and legacy of Miguel Serrano. Known for propagating Neo-Nazi philosophies, Serrano’s dangerous rhetoric still lives on in the present day. Inserting herself into the history of Chilean politics, Giesen confronts the ugliness of her country’s past and her heritage, while exploring the historical disinterest of the Chilean populace. 

Through the film’s playful potpourri of mixed-media techniques, The Hyperboreans intelligently ruminate upon the legacy of fascism in the present day. The echoes of Chile’s turbulent political history reverberate into the present, as ​​Cristóbal León & Joaquin Cociña’s (The Wolf House, Beau is Afraid) meta-commentary mixes different genres to explore the monsters, both literal and figurative, of Chile’s past. The Hyperboreans boldly question its own filmmaking ethics, all while confronting its nationalist mythology. The Hyperboreans is more than just a self-referential film about cinema. It’s a singular monster movie that boldly confronts our collective obliviousness to history through its kaleidoscopic form. - David Cuevas