The pearl button of the title (spoilers)
The film built in momentum and by the end when Guzman was narrating about the murders under Pinochet I was hooked. Recreating how the bodies 'buried' in the ocean were wrapped and weighted was horrible but compelling. Then when they find a pearl button, worn by the ocean and its life but still intact, on one of those iron bars used to weight the body, well, I gasped and felt moved to tears. There was no sign of the body or its coverings, only the bar with the button melded into the metal. For some reason its discovery took me back to the beautiful and ancient piece of quartz featured at the beginning of the film.
I think Guzman's attempt to process Chile's dark past is highly innovative.
Ever tried, ever failed?
No matter.
Try again, fail again.
Fail better.