Film production boomed in Chile in the silent era, with 78 films released between 1910 and 1931. The first full-length film, Manuel Rodríguez, was released in 1910. Directed by Adolfo Urzúa, and starring Nicanor de la Sotta, it told the story of Manuel Rodríguez Erdoíza, who fought for Chile's independence from Spain until his death in 1818.Historia del Cine Chileno Festival Internacional de Cine de Valdivia, September 2005, Emol.cl (website of El Mercurio newspaper). Retrieved 10 February 2013.
