Chileans born during Pinochet regime telling their stories in live Philly performance

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 Fernanda González (left) and Alejandro Gómez on stage during a performance of 'El año en que nací' ('The year I was born'). (David Alarcón)

Fernanda González (left) and Alejandro Gómez on stage during a performance of 'El año en que nací' ('The year I was born'). (David Alarcón)

Army commander Augusto Pinochet took power in Chile during a 1973 coup and remained president until he was voted out of office in 1990. His military government brutally cracked down on leftist dissent, arresting and torturing nearly 130,000 people in Pinochet’s first three years alone.

Now, some Chileans born during Pinochet’s rule are telling their stories in Philadelphia.

A group of 11 Chilean artists are reconstructing their families’ histories using letters photographs, clothing, archival footage, and rock ‘n’ roll music in a live piece of documentary theater called “El año en que nací” (“The year I was born”).

And don’t let the language barrier stop you. The show, which is coming to the FringeArts building this weekend, will be performed in Spanish with English subtitles.

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To hear WHYY host Jennifer Lynn’s interview with “El año en que nací” director Lola Arias, click the audio above.

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