Filmmaker Valeria Sarmiento unveils her final movie 'Behind the Rain'

• Valeria Sarmiento premiered her final feature film at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
• The psychological drama addresses how patriarchal cultures silence the traumatic experiences of women.
• Producer Chamila Rodríguez spent seven years securing independent funding for the monochrome project.

Chilean director Valeria Sarmiento debuted her final feature film Behind the Rain during the Karlovy Vary Film Festival's prestigious Crystal Globe Competition running July 3-11, 2026. The psychological drama follows a young psychology professor, played by Paula Prado, whose return home after postgraduate studies coincides with the discovery of a dead girl. This disturbing event unravels painful memories of past trauma and forces the academic into a deeply self-reflective process. The production marks the final directorial project for the veteran artist following a career spanning over half a century.

Variety reported that Sarmiento developed the monochrome film alongside producer Chamila Rodríguez to examine how patriarchal societies actively silence female experiences. The concept originated during a rest period while mixing a project by her late husband, famed Chilean director Raúl Ruiz. Sarmiento had previously attempted to produce the same script in Lisbon, the United Kingdom, and Locarno before Rodríguez suggested filming the narrative in Chile. The collaborative project took seven years to fund and complete through the label Poetastros.

The veteran filmmaker chose a black-and-white aesthetic because she visualised historical memories without colour. The title itself stems from an intimate childhood memory of her mother encouraging her to observe subtle details hidden behind the rainfall, an attentiveness she expects from modern audiences. Although the project incorporates distinct elements of film noir, cop thrillers, and detective movies, the director emphasised that it does not function as a standard police story. She noted that the plot purposefully excludes conventional components such as police patrols or squad cars arresting culprits.

Rodríguez explained that securing independent financing proved highly difficult because the local film industry routinely struggles with available resources despite a vibrant new generation of creators. The producer warned that state cuts to arts and heritage cause disastrous setbacks for domestic communities. Following this release, Valeria Sarmiento will focus her efforts throughout 2026 on restoring an archival asset titled La Colonia Penal. The creative duo plans to finalise the heritage project, directed by Ruiz, for an international premiere next year.