“The whole film is about the seduction of fascism, done as a satirical comedy,” says “The Count” cinematographer Edward Lachman, who together with director Pablo Larraín weaves a seductive horror story about the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet like a bloodthirsty vampire living his last days. Pinochet's uncontrolled power lasted 17 years starting in 1973 and influenced every corner of the country, including the Church. Carmencita (Paula Luchsinger), a nun sent to perform an exorcism, who is instead seduced by Pinochet and wants to become a vampire, represents the religious perspective in the narrative. In one bite she drops the rosary and flies away. The photography of the sequence was practically taken on green screen due to its realism. A team of riggers specializing in aerial work was hired to hang Luchsinger from cables attached to a large crane. Camera crews then filmed her performance as he glided through the sky like a bird finding its wings. “Working with what was there, the light, the wind, the movement of him in that space, all of those things contributed to a visceral experience,” Lachman says. The moment of power does not last long for the character: an appropriate warning to those who try to exploit it for his own benefit.
