Manuela Martelli’s “The Meltdown” (“El Deshielo”) will be coming to theaters in the United States in early 2027, courtesy of Kino Lorber.
The international film distribution company picked up the Chilean mystery movie on Wednesday following its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Subsequent digital, educational and home video releases will follow after its theatrical run.
“The year is 1992, just two years after the end of Augusto Pinochet’s regime, and Chile is in the midst of an economic miracle. Nine-year-old Inés is staying at her grandparents’ Andean ski resort while her parents attend a trade conference in Seville. There, she befriends Hanna, a German teenager training to be a competitive skier while rebelling against the strictures of her regimented life,” per the logline. “When Hanna vanishes without a trace and her mother enlists Inés’ help as a translator, the search for the missing teenager exposes hidden truths that test the young girl’s loyalties and echo her country’s dark history.”
The film stars Maya O’Rourke, Maia Rae Domagala, Saskia Rosendahl, Jakub Gierszal, Paulina Urrutia and Mauricio Pešutić. The Chile, Spain, Mexico and U.S. co-production was produced by Alejandra García for Ronda Cine, Alex C. Lo for Cinema Inutile and Andrés Wood for Wood Producciones, with co-producers María Zamora for Elastica Films, Julio Chavezmontes for Piano and Pablo Díaz for Fundación Río.
“I am very happy to be renewing our collaboration with Kino Lorber and Trigon Film, who released ‘Chile ’76’ in the United States and Switzerland,” director Martelli said in a statement. “It is very encouraging to know that ‘The Meltdown’ will have a life in so many territories. That is what ultimately gives a film its true meaning and purpose: reaching people. ‘The Meltdown’ deals with a moment in Chile’s history when democracy was only just beginning to recover after a long period of dictatorship. I hope that this exercise of revisiting history will resonate with audiences around the world and help us feel closer to one another. In the end, I believe our histories are often far more connected and similar than we tend to imagine.”
“We are thrilled to be reteaming with Manuela Martelli, whose previous film ‘Chile ‘76’ was a hit with U.S. critics and audiences alike,” Kino Lorber VP of Acquisitions Karoliina Dwyer added. “With ‘The Meltdown,’ she once again brilliantly employs elements of mystery/thriller filmmaking to explore Chile’s political history from the perspective of strong and complex female protagonists.”
