September 11th, 1973 - The Last Stand of Salvador Allende

Watching September 11, 1973 – The Last Stand of Salvador Allende in the wake of these Quebec elections, which resulted in a majority of seats going to right-wing and far-right members of parliament, offers an opportunity to reflect both on the fragility of democracy and on cinema’s role as a tool for remembrance and vigilance.

While it would obviously be inappropriate to compare present-day Quebec with Chile in September 1973 and the 17 years of dictatorship that followed, Patricio Henríquez’s film reminds us that democracy is not decided solely at the ballot box, that left-wing ideas struggle to be heard, and that those who hold economic power—across time and around the world—stand in their way. The film thus invites us to examine a fundamental contradiction of capitalism: how can the will of the people be reconciled with a system in which a minority possesses the economic means to profoundly influence collective choices?

Perhaps this is a good time to ask ourselves what it really means to “give power” to the people. Is it enough to periodically place it in the hands of elected representatives? How can we preserve our collective ability to act, challenge the status quo, and transform the world between elections?

By preserving ideas and images that must not be forgotten, documentary cinema is certainly one way forward.

Jenny Cartwright
Documentarian and audio artist