Chile World Cup Qualifier Scandal Film ‘Simulacro’ in the Works

Chile’s Villano Producciones and Storyboard Media are teaming with Viven Film (Switzerland) and Chilean actor-producer Benjamín Vicuña (“Locked Up,” “Fuga”) to sign a co-production agreement for the feature film “Simulacro” during this year’s Cannes market. Directed by Juan Ignacio Sabatini, the film is a political-sports thriller based on a real event that shocked the world of football.

Set in Brazil, “Simulacro” dramatizes the 1989 scandal during a World Cup qualifier between Chile and Brazil, when Chilean goalkeeper Roberto Rojas staged an injury during the match at the Maracanã Stadium. The incident sparked global outrage and exposed deep-rooted issues within the sport.

“The Condor Rojas case was a milestone in my life and in the life of an entire generation of a country and, why not say it, a scar on world football,” Vicuña tells Variety. “Being able to make a movie and reveal what really happened, how that moment was built, what is true, what is myth, what is real, what the consequences were, I find it extremely compelling because it’s a story that, anywhere in the world, a simulation like this one is simply unbelievable.”

The film centers on Chomsky, an obsessive radio journalist who investigates the incident, uncovering a network of corruption, political manipulation and media spectacle. Combining thriller elements with black humor, the story moves between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

“We envision a high-voltage film, full of action and touches of humor, at times bordering on a police thriller, featuring lovable and relatable characters, appealing not only to football fans but also to those who are fascinated by the madness that surrounds it,” says Sabatini.

“‘Simulacro’ is a story so incredible it seems made up, but it happened. It’s a story that exposes how great national narratives are constructed, engaging with our collective memory and the global spectacle,”…