Acclaimed Chilean director Valeria Sarmiento has announced that "Behind the Rain", a drama about childhood sexual abuse, will be her final film as a director, drawing to a close a career spanning more than half a century. The film is receiving its world premiere in the prestigious Crystal Globe Competition at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, marking a notable send-off for a veteran filmmaker known for more than 30 features examining the position of women in a patriarchal society, with awards from San Sebastián and nominations for the Golden Bear and Golden Lion.

Shot in black and white, the film follows psychology professor Sofia (Paula Prado), who returns to her hometown as a girl's body is discovered there, stirring painful memories and a process of self-reflection. Sarmiento, the widow of celebrated director Raúl Ruiz, developed the project over seven years with producer Chamila Rodríguez, who described the difficulty of securing funding and stressed the importance of state support for Chilean cinema. Sarmiento insists the work is not a police film despite its noir and detective elements, and the pair now intend to focus in 2026 on restoring Ruiz's film "La Colonia Penal".