This is an amazing true story. The directing feels messy, but it's clear that it was intended to imitate the mess that surrounded this story in real life.

Pinochet was one of several dictators that was installed by United States through the agency of the CIA. Why? We can only guess that the sitting Chilean president had left leanings which seems to piss off Americans to no end. (Health care? Oh no - that would be socialist!! Much better to let citizens die or go bankrupt trying to survive.)

The USA's little puppet then proceeded to murder and torture thousands of Chileans. Quite probably, the US trained those torturers. The official count is 29,000, plus 3000 dead, plus an uncounted number of "desaparecidos" (mysteriously missing forever).

It's also beneficial to watch "Nostalgia de la Luz" which will give another view of Chileans' relationship with Pinochet.