The Chilean filmmaker Valeria Sarmiento presented Le cahier noir in the Official Selection yesterday. It is an adaptation of a classic novel by the Portuguese author Camilo Castelo Branco, that was an old project of her late husband Raúl Ruiz, abandoned after his death. It tells the story of a young Italian nurse who has to take care of a little orphan against the backdrop of the French Revolution and includes appearances by historical figures such as Napoleon, Charlotte Corday and Marie Antoinette.

Although the film was shot entirely in Portugal, the film recreates scenes in Rome, Paris and London. Producer Paolo Branco pointed out that the palaces in that period were built in the same way in different countries, so they were able to shoot in Portugal as if they were elsewhere.

As for her next project Sarmiento said it would be very different. She said that she hoped to be able to start shooting a black comedy in Chile at the end of the year about the contemporary situation in her country.

Nora Askargorta