Heynowski and Scheumann; Peter Hellmich - Operación Silencio - 1974

Best known for their book Die Kannibalen about mercenaries in Africa (included in Martin Parr and Gerry Badger, The Photobook Vol.3 p.192) Heynowski and Scheumann, along with photographer Peter Hellmich, turned their attention to Chile in the early 1970s. The socialist government of Salvador Allende was overthrown in a US backed coup in 1973 and replaced by a brutal right-wing military junta under General Pinochet that ruled for 17 years. First elected in 1970, the Allende government was regarded as a threat to US interests and the coup was backed by Nixon and Kissinger. Obviously this was a subject that the Communist block countries in the middle of the Cold War were concerned about and wanted to exploit for propaganda purposes.

As Protest in Photobook blog notes: "Peter Hellmich, of the East German Studio H&S, was commissioned in 1972 to document the Allende-led trial. But what the coup leaders didn't know is that a couple of West German (DDR) filmmakers - who had earned the military's trust by pretending to be their supporters - would have left an indisputable first-hand film record that has lasted for 40 years. By attending the clubs frequented by Santiago's high society, Hellmich was able to meet the main leaders of the political right and of the unions mobilized against the government, such as Senator of the National Party Sergio Onofre Jarpa, and the leader of the truck drivers, León Vilarín. allowed him to be able to move freely and film the most important moments of the coup of 11 September 1973. The coup leaders themselves saw favorably the recovery work of the DDR, believing that they had them on their side and that they could send them to Europe a positive message of their action in opposition to the propaganda of the USSR which defined them as fascist and reactionary subversives. This book is an excellent documentation of the events that took place in Chile in 1973 with unique and important images."

As well as photographs of the military takeover and mass arrests, Hellmich's images of the football stadiums where the people arrested by the army were detained, tortured and executed are particularly chilling . Edited by Heynowski and Scheumann, the graphic design elements within this publication including reproductions of posters and other documents, help transform Hellmich's powerful images into a searing indictment about the ruthlessness of the US backed Pinochet regime.

Condition:
Very good - no dust jacket as issued. Wear to cover. Back cover has small mark. Dent to one corner and pages creased inside. Small age related blemishes to some pages and end papers. Pages yellowed with age (common in this title). Previous owner's hand-drawn book plate on blank page. Good copy of this important photobook. Please examine listing photos carefully.