World Premiere of Alicia Scherson’s SUMMER WAR at Tribeca, Based on Roberto Bolaño’s Novel

World Premiere of SUMMER WAR

by Alicia Scherson at the Tribeca Festival 2026,

Based on Roberto Bolaño's Novel THE THIRD REICH

Featuring a Stellar International Ensemble,

this Psychological Thriller Unfolds in the Twilight

of Pinochet's Chile, Where Every Move in a

Seaside Strategy Game Spills Beyond the Board

Summer War (Guerra de verano), the fifth feature by acclaimed Chilean writer-director Alicia Scherson (Family Life), will have its World Premiere in the International Narrative Competition at the Tribeca Festival 2026, taking place June 3–14 in New York City, marking Scherson's return to Tribeca, where she won the Best New Narrative Director Award for her 2005 debut feature Play.

Adapted from the novel The Third Reich by Roberto Bolaño—widely regarded as one of the most influential Latin American writers of the late 20th century—this sleek psychological thriller unfolds in 1989, against the waning days of the Pinochet dictatorship. It marks Scherson’s second adaptation of Bolaño's work, following Una novelita lumpen, which she previously brought to the screen as Il Futuro (2013).

Featuring an international ensemble including Dan Beirne (The Twentieth Century, Fargo), Lux Pascal (Queen of Coal), David Gaete (Victory or Death), Aline Kuppenheim (Chile ‘76), and Agustín Pardella (Society of the Snow), Summer War follows obsessive tabletop wargame champion Udo Berger, whose seaside vacation with his girlfriend takes a dark turn as his simulations of the past begin to bleed into the present.

As Udo becomes absorbed in a meticulously recreated simulation of World War II battles, the boundary between the game and reality begins to erode. When a tourist mysteriously disappears at sea, suspicion and paranoia ripple through the group, and Udo finds himself locked in a high-stakes match with an enigmatic local—one in which strategy begins to dictate the terms of reality.

Blending tension with dry and dark, understated humor, Scherson's adaptation captures the quiet unease of Bolaño's early prose. By relocating the story to Chile during a period of fragile political transition, the film sharpens its sense of dislocation and danger, reflecting on the porous boundary between simulated violence and its real-world consequences.

The premiere arrives at a pivotal moment for Bolaño's legacy. His work, marked by an unflinching engagement with violence and the shadows of the 20th century, remains a vital touchstone for contemporary culture. 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for his oeuvre, characterized by a renewed global interest in his most haunting narratives.

A hypnotic study of masculinity, paranoia, and the unseen forces that shape human relationships, the film offers a striking cinematic entry point into Bolaño's literary universe. In an era increasingly attuned to the afterlives of fascism and the ethics of representing history, Summer War resonates as a timely interrogation of how the past haunts the present.

Tribeca Festival Screenings:

Sunday, May 31, 4:30pm — Tribeca Film Center — Advanced P&I Screening 

Saturday, June 6, 3:30pm — AMC 19th St. East 6 — P&I Screening

 Sunday, June 7, 5:30pm — AMC 19th St. East 6 — World Premiere

 Monday, June 8, 5:15pm — AMC 19th St. East 6

 Friday, June 12, 5pm — AMC 19th St. East 6

SUMMER WAR. Guerra de verano. Chile/Uruguay/Argentina/Italy, 2026, 104 min. In Spanish and English with English subtitles. Written and directed by Alicia Scherson; Based on The Third Reich novel by Roberto Bolaño; Produced by: Isabel Orellana Guarello, Juan José López, Pedro Barcia, Nicolás Grosso; Executive Producers: Gabriele Guidi, Lautaro Bolaño, Alicia Scherson, Enrique Rubio Dosamantes, Rosa Clemente, Francesca Moino, Nicolas Comeau; Production Companies: Araucaria Cine (Chile), Nadador Cine (Uruguay), Le Tiro (Argentina), OvePossibile (Italia), in association with Estudio en Llamas (España), Punta Fina Studios (México), 1976 productions (Canadá); Cinematographer: Alejo Maglio; Production Design: Sebastián Muñoz; Editor: Manuel Ferrari; Sound: Romina Cano and Guido Deniro; Cast: Dan Beirne, Lux Pascal, David Gaete, Aline Kuppenheim, Agustín Pardella, Malena Sánchez, Gabriel Cañas, Camilo Arancibia. World sales: Pluto Film.

About the Director:

Writer-director Alicia Scherson has lived, studied, and worked in Chile, Cuba, Spain, and the United States. Her feature films Play (2005), Turistas (2009), and Il Futuro (2013, adapted from Roberto Bolaño's Una novelita lumpen) premiered and received awards internationally. She co-directed the feature Family Life, with Cristián Jiménez, based on a short story by Alejandro Zambra, which premiered in competition at the 2017 Sundance and Rotterdam film festivals. In 2019, she co-directed the television series Invisible Heroes (Parox – YLE Finland). She also works as a screenwriter and script consultant for feature films and TV series, including Rara by Pepa San Martín (Berlinale, 2015) and Karadima by Matías Lira (2015). She is currently director of the Universidad de Chile's television network.