A chronicle of the political tension in Chile in 1973 and of the military coup against the government of Salvador Allende, it won the Grand Prix in 1975 and 1976 at the Grenoble International Film Festival.

His efforts to nationalize certain industries have met with both internal and foreign opposition, and Chile is suffering economic deprivations.

It shows the different elements in the explosive situation with so much clarity that it's a Marxist tract in which the contradictions of capitalism have sprung to life.

Allende's naval aide-de-camp Arturo Araya is killed, and the camera moves around the funeral attendees - General Augusto Pinochet among them.

In July, the truck owners, funded by the CIA, begin their long strike, which paralyzes the distribution of food, gasoline, and fuel, and there is a call for Allende to resign.

On September 11, the Navy institutes the coup d'état, and the Air Force bombs the state radio station.

Whereas the original documentary is in the form of cinema verité, Chile, Obstinate Memory is a personal essay film[4] Guzmán interviews people involved in the making of The Battle of Chile, speaks with Allende’s former guards, reflects on his own time being held by the military government, and overall focuses on the individual experiences under such a regime.

In an interview with Jorge Ruffinelli, the filmmaker states that he had planned to go back to Chile and producer Yves Jeanneau suggested that Guzmán make his trip the subject of a new film.

I wrote the first synopsis, with a real lack of confidence because the "personal tone" wasn't convincing me.”[7] Eventually the filmmaker found the way to tell this compelling story.

I thought that I had picked the wrong film and said to myself, ´these kids must be children of parents who detest the Allende period´, and started moving to the back of the room to turn on the light, as I tried to think of some formula to continue the class.

The twenty hours of footage they shot had to be smuggled out of the country..the cameraman, Jorge Müller, hasn't been heard of since his imprisonment.

[-]Pinochet's slyness is well illustrated by a glimpse of him a few months before the coup, sunglasses on, helmet pulled down, dressed like an ordinary soldier as he saunters amicably along with some other officers, who are still loyal to the government and have just put down a premature army rebellion.