This Monday afternoon, BiobioChile was able to confirm the death of Elías Llanos Canales, a Chilean filmmaker who directed The Emerald 1879the film that in 2010 recreated the Iquique Naval Combat.
His family said goodbye to him in an intimate ceremony where family and friends were present to honor his legacy.
“Elías Llanos Canales was remembered as a family pillar, a close friend and a reference in the cinematographic field, a space in which he developed his work for years with commitment and vocation“, they expressed in a statement.
“In his last days he was surrounded by his loved ones.who accompanied him in a brave battle against cancer, faced with fortitude and without ever giving up the bond with the people he loved,” they add.
The Emerald 1879film about the Pacific War, with the actor Jaime Omeñaca as Captain Arturo Pratwas one of Llanos’s most famous works.
Back in 2010, according to The Clinic, It became the most expensive film in the history of Chilean cinemawith a budget of 12 million dollarsan amount that the same director obtained after requesting support from the Chilean Navy, the Luksic family, among other companies.
For filming, The Esmeralda and Huáscar were recreated to scale. In addition, important figures such as Francisca Opazo, Fernando Godoy, Andrés San Martín, among others, were part of the cast.
The last legacy of Elías Llanos
But his work didn’t end there, More recently, the director presented Running the wavesa film based on real events and yet to be released, which tells the story of a group of young people with disabilities who dream of surfing.
Cristián Encalada, an adapted surf instructor who worked with Llanos on the film, said that the director “did a great work” and that “he was a great Chilean filmmaker who made great films and showed that films could be made within our country,” he added.
“Obviously thank his family, friends, all the instructors, all the students, all the teachers who made this film a masterpiece. Thank you always Elías Llanos, thank you for believing in inclusion and bringing it to the giant screen,” he concluded.
Another of his notable works was also An unforgettable concert (2014), where he paid tribute to New Wave singerssuch as José Alfredo Fuentes, Buddy Richard, Cecilia, Peter Rock, among others.
