En nombre de dios

The first movie Patricio Guzman made in his native country, not wholly riskless, after Pinochet's coup.

The idea for this documentary arose after the director had seen Rodolfo Kuhn's film in 1984, in which the discussion was opened on the passivity of the church under the dictatorship in Argentina. Guzman realized that in Chile it is the other way around: the catholic church is, beside the army of course, the only institution that survived the military coup d'etat and that has a considerable influence. This influence stretches to the smallest hamlet, primarily because the church building serves as a fairly safe meeting- place, refuge or place for acts of faith to the large majority of the population.

In Guzman analyses the role the catholic church plays in Chilean society. It developed from a rather conservative church into a predominantly liberal and tolerant institution, which battles against the violation of human rights. For example, the catholic church founded the Vicarea de la Solidaridad which is an organization for the protection and defence of prisoners during civil and military trials. Guzman emphasizes the need for such an initiative by showing pictures of demonstrations, police-raids and violent arrests.