The Meltdown

Chile, 1992. Staying at her grandparents’ remote hotel near an Andean ski resort, Inés (9) befriends Hanna (15), a German skier. When Hanna vanishes without a trace, the search for her exposes hidden truths.

Festivals & awards

Festival de Cannes 2026: Un Certain Regard
Hamptons International Film Festival
Zurich Film Festival: Wettbewerb Spielfilm
Festival FILMAR en América Latina: Film d’ouverture
Academy Awards 2027: Chile’s Submission

artwork

Credits

Original Title
El deshielo
Title
The Meltdown
Directed by
Manuela Martelli
Country
Chile
Year
2026
Screenplay
Manuela Martelli
Film Editing
Yibran Asuad
Soundtrack
Maria Portugal
Cinematography
Benjamin Echazarreta
Sound
Federico Gonzalez
Production
Ronda Cine, Cinema Inutile, Wood Producciones
Runtime
108 min.
Language
Spanish/German/English/d/f
Cast
Maya O’Rourke (Inès), Saskia Rosendahl (Lina), Maia Rae Domagala (Hanna), Jakub Gierszal (Alexander), Paulina Urrutia (Techa), Mauricio Pešutić (Ricardo)

Pro Material

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Press voices

«Un film magistral et impressionnant, qui flirte parfois avec le surnaturel.» Les Inrocks

«In der Ruhe liegt bei diesem Film die Kraft.» Outnow, Yannick Bracher

«Une mécanique du suspense extrêmement bien huilée.» Positif

«Detektiv-Story und Mystery-Drama verschmelzen zu einem Quasi-Politthriller.» Movie Break

«Une chronique saisissante sur les non-dits.» Télérama

«The longer one thinks about even the most innocuous details, the more The Meltdown reveals itself as a carefully calibrated exploration of national identity.» The Playlist

«Dans ce thriller cotonneux à la mise en scène magistrale, la réalisatrice chilienne nous plonge avec force et grâce dans l’imaginaire de sa jeune héroïne, et signe l’un des plus remuants films récents sur l’enfance.» Marie Claire

«A slow-burn mystery set in Chile.» The Hollywood Reporter

«Avec ce drame aussi touchant que glaçant, Manuela Martelli tissue une allégorie subtile sur le poids du silence dans le Chili post-dictature.» Télé Loisirs

«A probing thriller that explores the costs and concessions of trying to move on from dictatorship.» IndieWire

«This atmospheric seconde feature uses a child’s loss of innocence as an allegory for Chile’s reckoning in the post-Pinochet era.» Screen Daily

«A film that deeply believes in the power of cinema and in the intelligence of its viewers.» Les Inrockuptibles

«Martelli is clearly a talented filmmaker, and her work here marks her as someone to watch going forward.» RogerEbert