"Songs of Repression" co-director.
Estephan Wagner has worked as documentary director for over a decade, always approaching his themes from the point of view of his protagonists. The films he directed have been both successful on the international festival circuit (playing at over 130 festivals and winning 32 awards), as well as being broadcasted on TV in many countries. Estephan made his MA in documentary direction at the prestigious National Film and Television School in the UK. Originally he was trained as an editor in Germany. Also his edited work has won several international prices including twice at the Berlinale. Estephan’s previous film LES SAUTEURS (2016) had theatrical distribution in Germany, France, the UK and Italy, has been screened at more than 70 film festivals and has won 15 awards including at Berlinale and the Cinema Eye Spotlight Award.
Estephan Wagner and Marianne Hougen-Moraga are the directors of the film. They have directed one film together and worked together on four previous films. Privately they are also a couple. Both Estephan and Marianne are filming the material and the characters. They both have a unique presence and ability to build trust, making characters feel safe even in the most adverse situation. Their German and Chilean background – as well as Estephan’s family’s ties to the elite in the former colony and Marianne’s family’s ties to persecuted and suppressed left-wing groups during the Pinochet era – make them the ideal director team for this film.
