Words: Savannah Meriwether (she/her)
Sometimes the act of remembering is a souvenir more valuable than tangible objects.
¡Nae Pasaran! – the title of Felipe Bustos Sierra’s 2018 documentary film – means, ‘They shall not pass’. It is a phrase that perfectly encapsulates the film’s subject: the resistance of four Scottish men who refused to service Chilean fighter planes used by the fascist Pinochet regime. Although the plot focuses on the tale of these men specifically, the film is more than just a story of the individual: it is a testament to the power of the union. Bustos Sierra instills upon his audience the trade union mentality that, through a linking of hands, minds and unified belief, workers have the power to change society for the better. In making ¡Nae Pasaran!, Bustos Sierra created a souvenir, one that simultaneously honours both the individual and the movement. Most of all, however, the film reminds us that seemingly miniscule acts of resistance can have monumental consequences.
In 1974, at the Rolls Royce factory in East Kilbride, Bob Fulton, Robert Sommerville, John Keenan, and Stuart Barrie defied orders to repair the Hawker Hunter planes being used by the Pinochet regime in Chile to perpetuate its fascist dictatorship. The men encouraged their fellow union members to do the same by “blacking” the planes; a technique that involved meticulously attaching labels to every part of the engines, warning workers to steer clear of them. As a result of their actions, these vital pieces of military equipment were rendered inoperable, left to rot in the grounds of the factory for over four and half years. The East Kilbride four put their job security at great risk by refusing to work, standing their ground for so many years despite facing incredible pressure from their superiors. Such a risk is indicative of undeniable dedication.
Busto Sierra’s documentary serves primarily as a recognition of these men’s bravery. The film honours the four men by granting them the knowledge that their resistance was not in vain. One scene, in which expressions of gratitude from Chileans are shown to the four men, results in them becoming overwhelmed with emotion. It may have been 40 years after these men’s refusal to repair the engines, but the Chileans did not forget what their show of solidarity meant. One phrase stood out to me: ‘I would have done the same for you.’ A phrase so simple effortlessly highlights the empathy that lies at the root of all selfless actions.
For Bob Fulton in 1974, it never mattered if his actions were lauded. In his words, it was ‘immaterial’. What mattered was that he was faced with a task that starkly opposed his own morality and that his morals were his guiding light. This refusal was more powerful than he could have ever imagined, positively affecting the lives of people who were over 12,000km away from his hometown. In all of us, there lies a hope that in trying times – when we are faced with political powers intent on greed and violence – there will be a stranger or two far away who cares that we exist. For the Chileans, Fulton, Sommerville, Keaton, and Barrie were those strangers. In an increasingly atomised world, one that fuels itself on dividing people, this film is an ode to connectivity. It recognises the value in active resistance, and serves as a souvenir of these men’s bravery, a bravery that may otherwise have faded into memory.
Decades after Pinochet relinquished power, the son of a Chilean Airforce Squadron leader acquired a number of decommissioned Hawker Hunter engines in an auction as a souvenir to remember his late father by. This lot happened to contain engine 15-06-07, the very first engine Bob Fulton refused to work on. Eventually, this engine made its way back to East Kilbride, where it remained as a memorial to the determination of Fulton, Somerville, Keenan, and Barrie. The engine’s cyclical journey marks it as a souvenir of resistance, and proof that no act of solidarity is insignificant regardless of how distant it may feel. Lack of proximity does not equal irrelevance. These Scottish men proved that the most valuable part of enticing change is remaining steadfast in the face of opposition and maintaining compassion in spite of distance.
Bustos Sierra grew up hearing childhood stories of these men’s bravery. Perhaps, as the child of an exiled Chilean journalist, documentary making was in his blood. However, the dedication with which he uncovered this story almost lost to time proves that its impact on him was far beyond surface level. Sometimes the act of remembering is a souvenir more valuable than tangible objects. It is impossible to uncover the butterfly effect of every action, but as this story shows, we must try to do so as much as we can.
