The dying Argentine cinema still struggles at festivals

“The Jockey” (international title: “Kill the Jockey”), of Luis Ortegawas chosen by the organization of the International Festival of Venice for its Official Competition, which begins on August 28.

The news began to spread yesterday, right on the occasion of the Audiovisual Director’s Day, as if to cheer up a little in this lean year for our cinema. The films that are being made this year can be counted on the fingers of one hand (and there are fingers left over), and it is good that at least one of them has the expected impact.

This is a co-production with Mexico, Spain and Denmark, with the participation of the USA (one should say, Argentines in the USA) and support from Warner Music Entertainment, the Film Commission of Culture of the City and the Incaa through the dying system of promotion. The Ernesto Sábato Foundation is also participating.

Spearhead, El Despacho SRL, the small company of Luis Ortega, Esteban Perroud and Rodolfo Palaciosnames that the public can immediately associate with “The Angel”on the criminal record of Robledo Puch.

Rei Pictures (“Accused”, “The Kidnapping”)Infinity Hill (“Argentina 1985”, “The extortion”), the Danish Snowglobe, which has already participated in work on Diego Lerman, Lucrecia Martel and Cyrus GuerraJacinto Films, Barraca Productions and the Mexican company El Estudio (“The dance of the 41”). Leading executive producer, Benicio, the bull.

Interpreters, Nahuel Perez Biscayart, with a good European track record, Ursula Corbero, Daniel Gimenez Cacho, Daniel Fanego, Mariana Di Girolamo, Rodolfo Carnaghi, Osmar Nunez, Luis Ziembrowski, Roly Serrano and, in unexpected return, Adriana Aguirre.

The competition will not be easy. “The Jockey” will come face to face with him “Joker II”of Todd Phillips (full title, “Joker: Folly of Two”), that is, the small tribe of friends around David with a slingshot, in this case a whip, facing a kind of Hollywood Goliath with unbearable laughter and a huge advertising budget.

Also in competition are new productions from Pedro Almodóvar (“The Room Next Door”, with Tilda Swinton), Gianni Amelio (“Campo di battaglia”), Luca Guadagnino (“Queer”), Pablo Larrain (“Maria”, about María Callas), Walter Salles (“Ainda estou aqui”), Wang Bing (“Youth- “Homecoming”) and other heavyweight competitors.

The second semester

For its part, San Sebastian, which starts at the end of September, has already chosen two: “The arrival of the son”story of the reinstatement, or not, of an ex-convict, of Cecilia Atan and Valeria Pivato (the same as the delicious ones “The Bride of the Desert”) and comedy “More people die on Sundays”of Iair Said.

Both will compete in parallel sections, respectively, New Directors and Latin Horizons. We can expect there to be more, because San Sebastian always pays attention to our cinema. The question is: will we have much more to offer?

So far, Argentina’s presence at international festivals this year has been with productions that began last year thanks to the support and benefits of the previous management of the Incaa. The fruits could be seen in Berlin (Golden Bear for Best International Short for comedy). “A strange movement”of Francisco Lezama), Cannes (“Simon of the Mountain”, Critics’ Week Grand Prix), Bafici (“The pleasure is mine”Best Film in the International Competition), Shanghai (the comedy “Adult”Grand Jury Prize), Tribeca (“The scent of freshly cut grass”Best screenplay).

Also Toledo Action Film Festival (“Clouds”Best Screenplay), Fantaspoa, Porto Alegre Fantastic Film Festival (“El escuerzo”, based on the story of Leopoldo Lugones), Punta del Este Sea Cinema (“In dad’s head”Best Latin American Feature Film), and Marseille, Munich, the venues for the international Finca competition (“The Agronomist”, Jury and Public Awards) and Arfecine, (“Animu”, filmed in Jujuy), among others.

Many of these films are sold abroad. But there are few left to offer as new releases. Is the INCAA fulfilling its purpose, that is, to properly support the production, distribution and preservation of national films? That is what the 10% tax implicit in each cinema ticket paid by spectators is for.