7th Cine Argentino: Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Argentina's return to democracy

In line with the 75th Anniversary of Philippine-Argentine relations, the Embassy of Argentina, the Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the Shangri-La Plaza Mall present the 7th Cine Argentino happening this September 28-30 at the Red Carpet at the Shang.

As Argentina also commemorates the 40th anniversary of the country's return to democracy after the 1976-1983 military dictatorship, the films this year are snapshots of this time in Argentinean history.

Here are the films of the 7th Cine Argentino, Argentine film festival.

El Exilio de Gardel/The Exile of Gardel (1985)

Director: Fernando E. Solanas

Cast: Marie Laforêt, Miguel Ángel Solá, Ana María Picchio, Philippe Leotard, and Lautaro Murúa

1980 in Paris, Maria lives in exile with his mother, a famous Argentine actress. With a group of friends, Maria decides to tell the story of her uprooting, and if the tragis desolation of the adults around her. The exiles of the "first generation", her parents, try to stage a "tranguedia" (tango-tragedy-comedy) called "El Exilio de Gardel" (Gardel's Exile) which makes the spectator wonder what is really their home country.

Un Lugar en el Mundo/A Place in the World (1992)

Director: Adolfo Aristarain

Cast: Federico Luppi, Cecilia Roth, and José Sacristán

Mario and Ana, in voluntary exile from Buenos Aires, live in a remote Argentine valley with their 12-year old son Ernesto. Mario runs a school and a wool cooperative. Ana, a doctor, heads a clinic with Nelda, a progressive nun. Into this idealistic family comes Hans, a jaded Spanish geologic engineer surveying the land for the local patron, to see if it can be dammed for a hydro-electric power, which would drive the peasants from the land into the cities.

Made in Argentina (1987)

Director: Juan José Jusid

Cast: Luis Brandoni, Marta Bianchi, Leonor Manso, Patricio Contreras, Hugo Arana, and Frank Vincent

Osvaldo and Mabel, and Argentine couple exiled for political reasons in the United States, travel to their country of origin after ten years to reconnect with their family and friends, including Maria's brother and his wife. Mabel offers her brother the possibility of working in New York with the aim of improving their economic situation, but his wife is opposed.

Sur/The South (1988)

Director: Fernando “Pino” Solanas

Cast: Susú Pecoraro, Miguel Ángel Solá, Philippe Léotard, and Lito Cruz

With the end of the military regime, Floral is released from prison and is on his way to reunite with his wife. Afraid of being reunited with his family, he walks through the city. By everything has changed, both his partner and the country.

The schedule of film screenings are as follows:

September 28, 2023

3:00 PM Made in Argentina

6:00 PM Un Lugar en el mundo

September 29, 2023

3:00 PM El Exilio de Gardel

6:00 PM Sur

September 30, 2023

3:00 PM El Exilio de Gardel

6:00 PM Made in Argentina

Film screenings will be at the Cinema 3, Red Carpet at the Shang and are for free, on a first-come, first-served basis.

The 7th Cine Argentino is presented by the Embassy of Argentina, Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the Shangri-La Plaza Mall, with the support of the Directores Argentinos Cinematográfico, an association of over 2,000 Argentine filmmakers dedicated to preserving the country's cinematic heritage.

5th Cine Argentino: Revisiting favorites Relatos salvajes and El clan

The recently concluded 5th Cine Argentino at the Red Carpet not only marked its return to the Shangri-La Plaza, it also featured the comeback of a couple of films that have become favorites by Philippine audiences.

Argentine Embassy Chargé d'affaires Flavio Chomnalez

The two films that made a return for this festival are the ever popular Relatos salvajes and the chilling El clan. The first I could watch over and over again which I did during the press screening while the second one is something that I missed a few years ago when it was part of Película/Pelikula, Spanish Film Festival. And having El clan a part of Cine Argentino this year gave me another chance to see it on the big screen during the festival's opening night.

Relatos salvajes

This black comedy by Damián Szifron released in 2014 is still a delight to watch even if I've already seen this numerous times including in a previous edition of Cine Argentino. This anthology film is composed of six shorts namely Pasternak, Las ratas, El más fuerte, Bombita, La propuesta, Hasta que la muerte nos separe. They are unrelated narratively but otherwise thematically linked. My favorite part is the last one, Hasta que la muerte nos separe, since I've gone through the rest and there's nothing left but to enjoy a disaster of a wedding reception. Although it is sometimes hard to watch El más fuerte, with the two men's pride sending both to their demise, it is actually La propuesta, that brings out the disgust in me. All the characters, even the poor, innocent caretaker, made awful decisions thinking that they can get away with it because of their privileged lives.

The previous post about Cine Argentino had a couple of concept art from the film by comicbook artist Juan Ferreyra. Here below is the soundtrack by Gustavo Santaolalla for me to listen to until the next viewing of the film.

El clan

Directed by Pablo Trapero, El Clan features the chilling performance of Guillermo Francella as the patriarch of the Puccio family. As Arquímedes Puccio, Francella was creepy in his iciness as he pulled off kidnapping and murdering helpless victims while maintaining the guise of an ordinary family. What surprised me most about his performance was realizing that he was also in El secreto de sus ojos as the alcoholic Pablo Sandoval and that he is more known in Argentina as a comedian. A new discovery for me with this film is Peter Lanzani who made his film debut with El clan as Alejandro, the eldest son who was portrayed as the reluctant accomplice in his father's schemes.

The film selection for the past five years of Cine Argentino have been impressive so far but this festival needs to catch up with the latest technology since having DVD copies for screenings especially at the upgraded Red Carpet cinema is just not cutting it in 2019. And while the return of audience favorites are a welcome treat, may there be more contemporary and obscure films offered in future editions.

The 5th Cine Argentino was presented by the Embassy of Argentina, Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the Shangri-La Plaza.

See Argentine films for free at the Shang

The best of contemporary Argentine cinema returns to the Shangri-La Plaza as the 5th Cine Argentino Film Festival makes its way to the Red Carpet this August 14-17, 2019.

Argentine Embassy Chargé d'affaires
Facundo Herrera

Presented by the Embassy of Argentina, Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the Shangri-La Plaza, the festival will screen a diverse selection of five films including the return of an audience favorite.

Leading the pack is El clan/The Clan, written and directed by Pablo Trapero. The film, starring Guillermo Francella and Peter Lanzani, is based on the true story of the Puccio Clan, a notorious family known for kidnapping and killing people in the 1980's. The film narrates the rampant “disappearances” even after the Argentina’s military dictatorship.

Perennial favorite Relatos salvajes/Wild Tales, also makes a return with a one time screening at the festival. This anthology, directed by Damián Szifron, composed of six standalone stories linked together by themes of rage, revenge, injustice, all delivered with a heavy dose of dark humor.

A friend of mine, Juan Ferreyra, a comicbook artist who did the concept art for the film isn't surprised that it will be shown again here in the Philippines since he says that the film is well loved in his home country of Argentina. 

Other films include Dos más Dos/2+2 directed by Diego Caplan. This dramatic comedy begins when couple Richard and Bettina reveal their dirty little secret to their friends Diego and Emilia that awakened desires that rocked their marriage.

In Mamá se fue de viaje/10 Days without Mom by Ariel Winograd, a housewife takes a break from being a stay-at-home mom and goes to a vacation with a friend, leaving her clueless husband with their kids for 10 days. Chaos and hilarity, obviously, ensue.

In Ariel Rotter's La luz incidente/Incident Light, shot entirely in black and white, captures the beginning of a complicated relationship when a young widow with twin daughters accepts the courtship of a charming but mysterious, older suitor.

Here is the schedule for the 5th Cine Argentino.

August 14, 2019

7:00 PM El Clan (Opening Film)

August 15, 2019

2:30 PM Relatos salvajes

5:30 PM La luz incidente

7:30 PM Dos más Dos

August 16, 2019

2:00 PM Dos más Dos

4:20 PM Mamá se due de viaje

6:30 PM La luz incidente

August 17, 2019

12:30 PM Mamá se fue de viaje

2:40 PM El clan