passionate stories, a passion for storytelling:

recent argentine cinema

april 27 - may 15, 2001

photo: the books and the night / los libros y la noche

See information about our box office sales here.

film descriptions and times

The past few years have witnessed the very welcome re-emergence of Latin American films and filmmakers on the international scene. National cinemas, practically dormant at the beginning of the Nineties, are returning to levels of production comparable to those of thirty years ago, while a new generation of filmmakers is enthusiastically taking up the challenge of digital and other developing technologies. Perhaps nowhere can this new energy and promise be seen more clearly than in Argentina. Despite the challenge of uncertain economic conditions, a startling number of young people have joined the ranks of more veteran filmmakers such as Alejandro Agresti, Tristán Bauer and Javier Torre, making works that offer fresh, sometimes controversial visions of Argentina's past as well as its present.

While it would be impossible to try to effectively characterize all the myriad work currently being produced, one thing that has always distinguished Argentine cinema has been its fascination with the act, and art, of cinematic storytelling itself. Films such as F*CKLAND or THE BOOKS AND THE NIGHT work to constantly shift the position of the viewer, moving us effortlessly from documentary to fiction, from inner thoughts to outer worlds. Even a more "traditional" narrative such as NINE QUEENS finally creates a sense that the whole world is simply part of an elaborate plot. Argentina has a long, proud tradition of cinema, and the filmmakers represented in this series are poised to add an exciting new chapter to that history.

Acknowledgements:
Passionate Stories, A Passion for Storytelling: Recent Argentine Cinema was organized by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales (INCAA) of Argentina, and the Dirección General de Asuntos Culturales of the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Comercio Internacional, with the support of the Consulate General of Argentina in New York. Special thanks to Claudio España, Javier Goliszewski, and René Aure.

a night with sabrina love / una noche con sabrina love

nine queens / nueve reinas

waiting for the messiah / esperando al mesías

yepeto

A NIGHT WITH SABRINA LOVE / UNA NOCHE CON SABRINA LOVE
Alejandro Agresti, 2000; 100m
For 16-year-old Daniel Montero, living with his grandmother and working as a meat-packer, it's like a dream come true: his letter has been accepted from among the hundreds of thousands of applicants for the prize of getting to spend "a night" with Sabrina Love (Cecilia Roth), porn queen of the late-night airwaves. The trip from his small hometown in the provinces to the great capital of Buenos Aires becomes a sort of Pilgrim's Progress for Daniel, teaching him lessons and showing him aspects of a world he never knew existed, all in a way preparing him for his fatefulmeeting with the enigmatic Ms. Love. At times somewhat the "bad boy" of Argentine cinema, Alejandro Agresti here delivers perhaps his finest film, a work of unexpected tenderness with an extraordinarily rich gallery of characters and array of subplots. Cecilia Roth, so impressive in Almodovar's All About My Mother, is wonderful as Sabrina, and the great Italian actor Giancarlo Giannini appears as Sabrina's understandably concerned producer.
Fri April 27: 1 & 5:15
Sun April 29: 5

NINE QUEENS / NUEVE REINAS
Fabián Bielinsky, 2000; 115m
A surprise box-office smash, this astonishingly assured debut feature keeps shifting the ground beneath us, alternating the identities of the "swindlers" and the "swindled" until we no longer know which way is up. Very early one morning Juan is trying to pull a bill-switching scam in an all-night deli; an outraged bystander grabs Juan, reveals the scam, and theoretically whisks Juan off to the police - before revealing that he too is a con artist, just helping out a colleague. Marcos enlists Juan in a plot that he claims will net them enough money for early retirement, and Juan, anxious to learn from a seeming master of the art, follows along - yet soon it seems that Marcos' schemes might be almost a little too perfectly realized. As the action moves breathlessly from humble barrios to luxury hotels and back again, it soon appears as if the city itself is part of an elaborate plot. Beautifully written and crisply directed, Nine Queens also features outstanding performances from its two leads, Gastón Pauls and Ricardo Darin.
Fri April 27: 3 & 7:15
Sat April 28: 8:30

F*CKLAND
José Luis Marques, 2000; 85m
Made in accordance with the minimalist esthetics of Dogme 95 - the title credits even present the official certification signed by Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg and company - F*CKLAND is the story of Fabian, a young Argentine who travels to the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) soon after travel to them is permitted for Argentine nationals. He has a new, surreptitious strategy to win control of the islands from the British: seducing and impregnating as many of the islands' females as possible, so that in short notice the place will be filled with bouncing Argentine babies. He sets his sites on beautiful Camilla, and there ensues a romantic, sometimes humorous and sometimes upsetting mano a mano, as the film constantly moves between Fabian's actions and gestures and his inner thoughts as to what they mean. Bold, irreverent, and full of unexpected twists, F*CKLAND offers both a sharp exposé of a final outpost of the colonial life as well as a revealing portrait of the lingering effects of the Falklands/Malvinas War on a generation of Argentines.
Fri April 27: 9:30
Sat April 28: 4
Sun April 29: 7

BURNT MONEY / PLATA QUEMADA
Marcelo Piñeyro, 2000; 125m
Unquestionably one of the key figures in recent Argentine cinema, whose films (Tango Ferroz, Wild Horses, Ashes of Paradise) have been both critical and commercial successes, Marcelo Piñeyro for his fourth film has made a striking adaptation of the highly acclaimed crime novel by Ricardo Piglia. Two misfits meet in the bathroom of a Buenos Aires train station, and from that moment on Nene (Leonardo Sbaraglia) and Angel (Eduardo Noriega) are inseparable - both as lovers and, soon, as criminal partners. Dubbed "the Twins" by the police and the tabloids, they scratch out a living trawling through the mid-Sixties Buenos Aires underworld, until a botched heist forces them to go into hiding and then to escape to Uruguay. Cut off from their roots and connections, convinced they've been betrayed and are under surveillance, the Twins’ world begins to close in on them, testing their love and finally their sanity. Part thriller, part love story, BURNT MONEY is a taut, wonderfully atmospheric tale of obsession given a stunning neo-Noir look by the great Spanish cameraman Alfredo Mayo.
Sat April 28: 6
Sun April 29: 8:45

WAITING FOR THE MESSIAH / ESPERANDO AL MESÍAS
Daniel Burman, 2000; 98m
By far the largest Jewish community in Latin America, the Jews of Argentina have been the subject of a number of recent films, most notably Daniel Burman's critically acclaimed WAITING FOR THE MESSIAH. Ariel (Daniel Hendler), a restless 20 something living with his family in "El Once" (Buenos Aires's traditional Jewish neighborhood), longs to break out on his own; meanwhile plans have been made for him to marry his childhood sweetheart and take over the family business. Unexpectedly, his opportunity comes when during Hanukkah a shortfall on the Tokyo stock exchange causes a major Argentine bank to collapse, driving Ariel's father (a wonderful cameo by Héctor Alterio) and many others in the community to bankruptcy. Burman provides a touching counterpoint to Ariel's odyssey with the story of Santamaría (Enrique Pineyro), one of the employees of the now defunct bank whose effort to rebuild his life is aided by Elsa (Stefania Sandrelli), a lonely woman working as an attendant in a public lavatory. Beautifully acted and narrated, WAITING FOR THE MESSIAH is an insightful portrait of personal and emotional relationships shadowed by the spectre of economic collapse.
Tue May 1: 1
Wed May 2: 3 & 7
Thurs May 3: 5:10

hidden river / río escondido

felicidades

tesoro mío

76 89 03

A LOVE OF BORGES / UN AMOR DE BORGES
Javier Torre, 2000; 90m
Somewhat like Orson Welles, the great Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges seems to be enjoying a posthumous career as a fictional character - a fitting destiny, perhaps for the author of stories like "Borges and Me." Javier Torre, son of Leopoldo Torre Nilsson and a fine director in his own right, brings to the screen the story of Borges's touching romance with Estela Canto, based on her memoirs. In 1944, Borges, then a writer of modest fame working in a small municipal library, met Estela, a vivacious and beautiful young woman with her own literary ambitions. Despite the vast differences in their styles and temperaments, the two manage to create a relationship - always under the watchful eye of Doña Leonor, his much revered mother. Eventually Borges would dedicate to her one of his finest stories, "The Aleph." Aided by fine performances by Jean Pierre Noher and Spanish actress Inés Sastre, Torre conveys something about the intimate personal life of one of the past century's unquestionable geniuses while offering some thoughts about Borges's own rather unique creative process.
Tue May 1: 3:10
Wed May 2: 1, 5 & 9

YEPETO
Eduardo Calcagno, 1999; 105m
YEPETO features one of Latin America's finest actors, Ulises Dumont, in one of his most wonderful performances. He plays the Professor, a 50ish teacher of creative writing to throngs of admiring students at a prestigious university who's also a respected if never popular novelist. One day a hot headed young man, Antonio (Nicolas Cabre), shows up at his apartment, warning him to stay away from his girlfriend; the Professor can't imagine what he's talking about, since it's been a while since he's followed through on his crushes. Yet the young woman in question, Cecilia (Malena Figo), is producing a kind of intense, romantic poetry of which the Professor appears to be the subject. Based on the play by Roberto Cossa, which he himself adapted for the screen, YEPETO is a knowing, deeply moving story about different generations trying to make peace and understand one another. The Professor and Antonio become a kind of extraordinary "odd couple," each discovering unknown sides of themselves as together they search for the grounds on which they might form a friendship. YEPETO won four top awards at the 1999 Havana Film Festival, including Best Actor for Ulises Dumont.
Thurs May 3: 1 & 7:10
Fri May 4: 3 & 9:15

HIDDEN RIVER / RÍ0 ESCONDIDO
Mercedes Garcia Guevara, 1999; 87m
An very impressive debut feature, HIDDEN RIVER is the story of Ana (Paola Krum), a young working mother living in Buenos Aires. One day she accidentally discovers a note that suggests that her emotionally distant, business executive husband may be keeping up a secret relationship. Suddenly her secure if unsatisfying world is threatened, forcing her to re-evaluate what her life has become. She leaves her home and follows the trail implied by a few offhand clues to Río Escondido, a remote river town at the foot of the Andes in western Argentina. The journey becomes one of self-discovery, especially after she meets Martín (Juan Palomino) and discovers who and what he is. "What at first appears to be a sudsy drama about a suspicious wife's investigation of her husband's possible adultery deepens into a portrait of a woman's instinctive quest for an elusive spiritual and emotional authenticity".
- Stephen Holden, The New York Times
Thurs May 3: 3:10 & 9:15
Fri May 4: 1 & 7:10

FELICIDADES
Lucho Bender, 2000; 90m
Tired of "Christmas movies in which everything works out," director and co-writer Lucho Bender set out to make a holiday movie with a difference and wound up with a great critical and commercial hit. It's Christmas Eve in Buenos Aires - a hot, muggy, somewhat wet day. In keeping with the season, everyone tries to be on their best behavior, but circumstances inevitably get in the way. A singer hired for a bar mitzvah realizes that his act isn't going over well, and sets off for his next gig. A novelist and his girlfriend just can't seem to agree on anything. A father frantically searches for a last minute present. Together, these wry tales and others gradually come together, usually without the knowledge of their participants. An internationally acclaimed director of television commercials here making his feature film debut, Bender keeps the action fast and at times furious, as people make tremendous effort to put aside for at least one day the cares and woes that define the rest of their year.
Fri May 4: 5:15
Tue May 8: 1
Thurs May 10: 4 & 8

TRIBUTE TO LIBERTAD LAMARQUE

Last December 12, world cinema lost one of its greatest stars with the death of Libertad Lamarque. A figure absolutely synonymous with the extraordinary flowering of Argentine cinema in the 1930s, Lamarque was an extraordinary performer who was equally accomplished as a singer, dancer and actress. In memory of her great contribution to Argentine cinema, we offer this special screening of one of her classic films.

MADRESELVA
Luis César Amadori, 1938; 93m
Lamarque at her best: an innocent young woman falls in love with a thief, only to discover that he's living with someone. Leaving home, she becomes a singer who climbs to the top of the charts. On a visit home, she discovers that her old flame has reformed and is in love with her younger sister. Amadori sought to expand the traditional musical format by weaving the musical numbers into a rich melodrama that explored the price to be paid for personal happiness.
Tue May 8: 3
Wed May 9: 1 & 8:30

THE BOOKS AND THE NIGHT / LOS LIBROS Y LA NOCHE
Tristán Bauer, 2000; 82m
"Tristán Bauer, who during the 90s has increasingly dedicated himself to literary themes in his work, has used the occasion of Borges' centenary to explore in film the multifaceted cosmos of this 'world spirit.' In so doing, he has chosen a fine line between fictional reconstruction and documentation. Using rare archive materials, Bauer has succeeded in casting light on the life of one of Latin America's greatest writers, a man who went blind just when he was appointed director of Argentina's National Library, when he was given 'the books and the night to live'." THE BOOKS AND THE NIGHT is a sympathetic cinematic portrait of the fascinating cosmos of this great and impressive writer." - Berlin International Forum of Young Film
Wed May 9: 3 & 6:45
Sat May 12: 2
Sun May 13: 7:30

TESORO MÍO
Sergio Bellotti, 1999; 87m
Based on an actual crime, the details of which fascinated Argentinians for weeks, TESORO MÍO follows a week in the life of Carlos Dietrich (a terrific performance by Gabriel Goity), a lower-level clerk at the Banco de Argentina who one day simply decides to start embezzling money. Yet the great distinction of the film is less in its detailing of the mechanics of the crime itself than its powerful rendering of a kind of sordid provincial atmo-sphere. From behind the counter of a small town bank we are brought into a world teeming with unfaithful husbands, scheming lovers, daily if petty corruption and the constant threat of violence - so that Dietrich's act becomes an anarchic gesture of someone trying to free himself by any means necessary. TESORO MÍO is a fascinating, very modern film noir that constantly challenges the viewer and refuses to provide easy answers.
Wed May 9: 4:45
Sat May 12: 3:45
Sun May 13: 5:30 & 9:15

I WON'T GO BACK HOME / NO QUIERO VOLVER A CASA
Albertina Carri, 2000; 74m
"Beginning with the murder of an unidentified man, Albertina Carri's assured debut feature is a cool, measured reconstruction of events leading up to the killing. Rubén (Martín Churba), a social outsider estranged from his impoverished middle-class family, appears to be the assassin. Only as the action develops do we begin to unravel the web that links him to a wealthy businessman who is embroiled in difficult domestic disputes and sees murder as the direct way out of his escalating problems. A contemporary Greek tragedy filmed in a disorienting, glacial Buenos Aires, I WON'T GO BACK HOME is a blistering study of parallel dysfunctional families fatally locked together by blood ties but driven apart by greed, fear and resentment. Marked by a distinctive visual style, Carri's elliptical film is a detached and desolate thriller." - Maria Delgado, London Film Festival Catalog
Sun May 13: 2
Tue May 15: 1, 5, & 9

76 89 03
Flavio Nardini and Cristian Bernard, 1999; 85m
The numbers in the title of this provocative first feature refer to key dates of contemporary Argentine history: 76 - the depths of military dictatorship; 89 - the worst of the economic crash and hyperinflation; 03 - the future that seems to be foretold. The private world and personal problems of three friends, Dino, Paco and Salvador, are set against the background of a constantly shifting daily reality. Yet throughout everything there remains at least one constant in their lives: Wanda Manera, actress, model and fantasy object, whose permutations in relation to this hapless trio provide perhaps the surest guide to what's really going on in the country. Directors Nardini and Bernard seemingly use stock characters and situations, only to repeatedly undercut audience expectations. Shot in a rich, beautifully textured black and white, 76 89 03 has the feeling of a kind of collective dream from which people are trying to wake up.
Sun May 13: 3:45
Tue May 15: 3 & 7