And Suddenly the Dawn (Spanish: Y de pronto el amanecer) is a 2017 Chilean drama film directed by Silvio Caiozzi. The film received positive critical reviews and was shown internationally at film festivals. And Suddenly the Dawn was the Chilean selection for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, but it did not receive a nomination.
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Plot
The movie tells the story of Pancho Veloso (Jung), a writer who flees his hometown in Chiloé and settles in Santiago de Chile, devoting his life to tabloid journalism. After 45 years, he returns to his hometown to create stories set in the area, inspired by the plot of the movie.
Cast
Julio Jung as Pancho Veloso
Sergio Hernández as Miguel
Magdalena Müller as Rosita
Arnaldo Berríos as Luciano
Pablo Schwarz as young Luciano
Diego Pizarro as young Miguel
Ana Reeves as Doña Maruja
Neddiel Muñoz Millalonco as Viuda del Griego
Darko Alexandar as El Griego
Pedro Vicuña as El Duende
Nelson Brodt as Pancho's father
Aldo Parodi as Don Teodoro
Agustín Moya as Mayor
Reception
In 2017, And Suddenly the Dawn won the Grand Prix des Amériques, the main prize at the Montreal World Film Festival, and Best Film at the São Paulo International Film Festival. The film was awarded Best Picture and Best Original Score at the 2018 Trieste Latin American Film Festival. Valentina Caiozzi's work on the film's music was also honored at the 2019 Premios Pulsar. The film won best feature film at the 2019 Indie Pasión Ibero-American Film Festival in Miami.
The film was selected as the Chilean entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.
Jonathan Holland, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, praised the film's "old-fashioned, ambitious storytelling," and noted that "[t]he pic may struggle to match its noble intentions, but its sincere and impassioned attempt to embody the struggles of a nation make it a worthy foreign-language Oscar entry for Chile."