Villa

Synopsis

A meeting room in contemporary Chile, where the past and present collide in a debate over memory and justice

In Villa, three women named Alejandra – all 33 years old – are tasked with deciding the fate of Villa Grimaldi, a former torture center during Chile’s military dictatorship. As they debate whether to reconstruct the site as it was, build a modern museum, or leave it as an empty field, their discussion reveals deep personal connections to the villa’s history and the complexities of addressing historical trauma. The women’s shifting allegiances, contradictory arguments, and revelations about their own identities blur the lines between truth and fiction.

Calderón’s darkly comic and deeply political play explores the challenges of memorialising atrocity and the impossibility of reaching consensus on how to represent historical pain. Through rapid-fire dialogue and unexpected twists, Villa interrogates the role of museums, art, and public spaces in shaping collective memory.