A disappearance in the Chilean Andes opens the door to a country’s unresolved past in the full trailer for “The Meltdown,” the second feature from Manuela Martelli (“Chile ’76”). And the film has now received a significant boost: the Chilean Film Academy has selected Martelli’s mystery as the country’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.
Set in 1992, two years after the end of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship, the film centers on nine-year-old Inés (Maya O’Rourke), who is staying at her grandparents’ remote hotel near an Andean ski resort while her parents attend a trade conference in Seville. There, she befriends Hanna (Maia Rae Domagala), a German teenager training to become a competitive skier while rebelling against her tightly regimented life.
However, when Hanna disappears without a trace, her mother, Lina (Saskia Rosendahl), recruits Inés as a translator. The ensuing search exposes secrets that test the child’s loyalties while echoing the disappearances and institutional silences of Chile’s recent history.
The cast also includes Jakub Gierszał, Paulina Urrutia, and Mauricio Pešutić. Martelli wrote and directed the 108-minute Chilean, American, Spanish, and Mexican co-production, with cinematography by Benjamín Echazarreta, editing by Yibrán Asuad, and music by Mariá Portugal.
“The Meltdown” premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, marking Martelli’s return to the Croisette after “Chile ’76” debuted in Directors’ Fortnight in 2022. Her latest film continues her examination of the lingering effects of Pinochet’s rule, but shifts the perspective to a child growing up amid Chile’s supposed economic miracle.
Martelli called the demanding production a “‘little Fitzcarraldo’ of the Andes,” citing the enormous effort required to realize the snowbound project. “This nomination recognizes the work of the entire team,” she said of Chile’s selection. “We will do everything in our power to represent our community and our country in the best possible way.”
Chile previously earned International Feature nominations for “No” and “A Fantastic Woman,” with the latter becoming the country’s first winner in the category in 2018.
“The Meltdown” will open in Chile on September 3. Kino Lorber is planning a U.S. theatrical release, followed by digital and home video editions, although no domestic release date has been announced. Watch the full trailer below.
