Recent history of Chile in three television fiction works: An audiovisual and thematic analysis

Abstract

In the last ten years, a significant change in Chilean television has taken place as a result of the production and broadcasting of national fiction series. Los 80, Los archivos del Cardenal, and El reemplazante are audiovisual productions which highlight this phenomenon. These series, through which we are able to learn about part of the history of Chile in the last forty years, stand out due to their artistic quality, high ratings, and the social debate that has arisen around them. This article analyzes three series from an audiovisual and content perspective. These works of fiction provide a snapshot of a historical period through three different themes: life during the dictatorship, the violation of human rights, and social inequality as revealed in the current educational crisis. The results show how these series go beyond entertainment and propose in their plots complex and controversial themes for Chilean society. The audiovisual proposal is constructed in such a way as to seek the verisimilitude of the story through the staging, the use of archival images, and the capturing of direct sound, among other formal resources.