How can a progressive social movement, fueled by explosive anger and determined to change the system, ultimately end up falling apart? This dramatic downfall is explored by Tamara Uribe and Felipe Morgado in Oasis, a striking documentary about the Chilean protests of 2020, which led to the rewriting of the Constitution, only to be rejected two years later.

The camera travels through the cities, witnessing the fury of anti-racist, feminist, and indigenous struggles, converging in an impressive chaos. Indignant voices rise: against the elites, who continuously minimize social demands; against the police, serving the powerful; and especially against an inactive government in the face of growing inequalities and the widespread rise of popular anger. As the movement gains strength, the main political parties yield and launch a major project: the rewriting of the Chilean constitution, one adopted under Pinochet's regime.

But the shine of victory quickly fades into disarray. The solidarity that marked the protests struggles to infiltrate the heart of the new Constitutional Assembly. Bumpy and at times absurd, the long-awaited rewriting process reveals the flaws of a movement that seems to be collapsing before our eyes. The series of wide-angle shots, paired with clever editing, shows the absurdity of a grand progressive project that ultimately fell apart, much to the disappointment of those who had long clung to the realization of a vision of equality within the country.

Fanny Tan
Researcher in residence
Center on Multidimensional Conflicts
Chaire Raoul-Dandurand