With kind causticity and all lucid humanity, Cristián Jiménez’s debut portrays the absurdities of a society that takes pride in its modernity and material achievements but, as he enjoys saying, remains utterly provincial. Several characters cross paths in two of ultraliberal Chile’s most representative institutions: a shopping mall and a private health company. After eye surgery, Juan has trouble adapting to a world he was better off not seeing; naive Rafael learns his passion for an upper-class, older shoplifter who has no place in a segmented society, whereas his sister Manuela decides to have a breast implant to try to improve her luck.
In ILUSIONES ÓPTICAS, award-winning director Cristián Jiménez delivers a melancholy and satirical comedy that pokes fun at our obsession with appearances, taking a hard look, so to speak, at the way we perceive the world.
