Backed by an Italian co-production fund, “A Delicate Operation” marks a new chapter for JUNTOS: the leap of Francisco Hervé into fiction filmmaking and a collaboration that unites Chile, Italy, and Mexico around a single story.
Set during the occupation of a school in Viña del Mar (Chile), the film follows a teacher who faces a tragic event that forces her to conceal the truth. A Delicate Operation is a thriller about how violence arises from the everyday and irrevocably transforms the lives of those it touches.
After an acclaimed career in documentary filmmaking (The Peninsula of Volcanoes, The Power of the Word, The Lost City), Hervé makes his fiction debut with an original project developed over more than five years together with screenwriters Malu Furche and Moisés Sepúlveda. Born from a reflection on the idea of violence within a school setting, the film proposes a daring, intimate, and profoundly unsettling narrative.
The partnership with Citrullo International began in 2023, when Hervé met the company at the Venice Film Festival, after being introduced by a colleague from the San Antonio de los Baños Film School. The connection was immediate: “They were deeply drawn to the story of A Delicate Operation and decided to join the project. Later, they applied for and won Italy’s minority coproduction fund, confirming their participation,” explains Felipe Egaña, partner at JUNTOS.
Founded in Rome in 2001, Citrullo International has become one of the most distinctive companies in the European independent film scene. Its catalog spans fiction features, documentaries, and hybrid projects; each marked by strong voices and a pursuit of innovative cinematic language.
Among its most notable productions are The Book of Vision (2020), Monte (2016), Dal Ritorno (2015), and Rosy-Fingered Dawn: A Film on Terrence Malick (2002). The company has consistently collaborated with filmmakers who challenge conventions and embrace risk-taking cinema with international scope.
Its longstanding relationship with Terrence Malick, one of contemporary cinema’s most influential and enigmatic figures, stands out. In addition to producing the 2002 documentary about his work, Citrullo International co-produced Malick’s acclaimed The Tree of Life (2011), nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography at the Academy Awards, and winner of the FIPRESCI Prize at San Sebastián and the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
With over two decades of experience and partnerships across the globe, Citrullo International has participated in major international festivals. Its involvement in A Delicate Operation, supported by the Italian Ministry of Culture’s Minority Coproduction Fund, not only strengthens the film’s production but also paves the way for its circulation through leading European and global markets.
A Delicate Operation will be entirely shot in Chile, featuring a local cast and Chilean protagonists, while the Italian team will take part in image and sound post-production. “It’s a Chilean story with global reach—filmed in Chile, led by national talent, yet enriched by international collaboration to enhance its quality and distribution,” adds Felipe.