MPAA Blog Piece About D.C. ‘No’ Screening and Panel

How Just Saying “NO” Changed Chile

The MPAA, together with the Inter-American Dialogue, National Democratic Institute, Participant Media and Sony Pictures Classics hosted a screening of “NO”, the 2013 Oscar® Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film on Tuesday evening. “NO” is a historical feature that tells the story of Rene Saavedra (Gael Garcia Bernal), a fictional young advertising executive, who was given the charge of creating the opposition campaign for the 1988 plebiscite. As a result of the “NO” campaign, the Chilean people took back their nation by voting out military dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet.

Leading strategists from the “NO” campaign took part in a panel discussion to provide viewers with an insider perspectives on the landmark Chilean referendum of 1988 and how the lessons of the “NO” campaign continue to remain valuable to others working for freedom and democracy around the world. The panelists were: Genaro Arriagada (Former National Director of the “NO” campaign, Former Ambassador from Chile to the U.S., Former Minister of the Presidency of Chile), Ken Wollack (President, National Democratic Institute), Sergio Bitar (President of the Foundation for Democracy (Chile), Former Chilean Senator, Cabinet Member and President of the Party for Democracy (PPD)), and Frank Greer (Partner, GMMB).