Acclaimed Chilean Filmmaker Valeria Sarmiento Bids Farewell to Directing With Affecting Childhood Sexual Abuse Drama…

Renowned Chilean filmmaker Valeria Sarmiento has a long history of prodding at memory in her films. The veteran has directed more than 30 features addressing the situation of women in a patriarchal culture, having won awards at major festivals like San Sebastián and earning Golden Bear and Golden Lion nominations. Her latest interrogation of the weight of memory, “Behind the Rain,” marks Sarmiento’s last directorial effort following a career spanning over half a century and marked by dozens of collaborations with her late husband, famed Chilean director Raúl Ruiz.

“Behind the Rain,” premiering in Karlovy Vary Film Festival’s prestigious Crystal Globe Competition, follows psychology professor Sofia (Paula Prado). Just as the young woman is set to return to her hometown following the end of her postgraduate studies, a girl’s body is discovered there, unravelling painful memories of past trauma and sending Sofia through a pained process of self-reflection.

Speaking with Variety ahead of the film’s world premiere, Sarmiento recalls how the first inkling of an idea for the film came about as she and producer Chamila Rodríguez were mixing Ruiz’s “The Tango of the Widower and Its Distorting Mirror.” “In a moment of rest, we talked about painful childhood experiences,” she says. “I told her I had a script we tried to make in Lisbon, then again in the U.K. and Locarno with that theme. Chamila told me we could try shooting it in Chile.”

Actor-turned-producer Rodríguez, who has closely collaborated with Sarmiento since 2008’s “Secrets,” remembers that conversation well. “I suggested she return to the beginning of this story, which was in Chile. We worked on the project for seven years and I became deeply involved both as a woman and an artist because of the sensitive nature of the subject matter. These are stories that the vast majority of women experience, and which are silenced by a society that hides them from the perspective of patriarchy.”

Sarmiento knew she wanted to shoot the film in monochrome as “when talking about the past, I see it in black and white.” Commenting on the film’s title, the director recalls yet another anecdote, saying that when she was just a young girl, her mother used to plead with her to look “behind the rain” — to pay close attention to details. “This is also what I ask of my audiences.”

“Behind the Rain” blends several genre elements, from the classic detective movie to the cop thriller and film noir. Asked about how she approached this juggling of formal languages, Sarmiento reiterates, “This is not a police film.” “It has [certain] elements, but there are no patrols, no police cars that come to arrest the culprits… I insist the viewer needs to look beyond that.”

The ambitious nature of the project as well as its sensitive themes made it a considerable challenge for Rodríguez, who says it was “very difficult” to secure funding for the film. “Valeria always wanted subtlety and an intimate perspective [to the film]. We faced several obstacles along the way and I’m certain it was possible thanks to our perseverance, determination, courage, and, of course, our love for cinema.”

Rodríguez’s long journey to getting the film funded also speaks to the reality of making films in her native Chile, which currently has a successful, vibrant new generation of filmmakers — including recent Cannes-selected Manuela Martelli and Dominga Sotomayor —  but is still, like almost everywhere in the world, struggling with available resources.

“The priority in Chile right now is to emphasize the importance of sufficient state and government funding for film production and filmmaking,” says Rodríguez. “It’s crucial to understand that cuts to culture, the arts and heritage are disastrous for the spirit of our people, a setback for the film industry, and a hindrance to the projection of our territories, our communities and our people to the world.”

As for what is next for Sarmiento and Rodríguez, the duo is continuing their longtime mission of restoring Raúl Ruiz’s work. “We have just started working on the restoration, post-production and completion of Ruiz’s heritage jewel ‘La Colonia Penal.’ This is our focus in 2026, so we can premiere the film next year.”

“Behind the Rain” is produced by Rodríguez’s label Poetastros. The Karlovy Vary Film Festival runs July 3-11.