3rd Annual LACIS Festival de Cine: Argentine Female Directors, Argentine Actresses
Each spring the Cinematheque collaborates with the Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies program (LACIS) to present a film series from a different region of the Spanish/Portuguese speaking world. The 2008 festival highlights Argentina, focusing on influential women directors and iconic actresses. The series features debut works by renowned filmmakers Lucrecia Martel and María Luisa Bemberg, Argentina's 2008 Oscar bid, and a classic 1940s tango musical.
Special thanks to Ksenija Bilbija, Valeria Galetto, Alberto Vargas (LACIS), Glen Close (Department for Spanish and Portuguese), Jonathan Howell (New Yorker Films), Monika Wagenberg (Cinema Tropical) and Joe Lindner (Academy Film Archive) for making this series possible.
Friday, February 29, 7:30 p.m.
XXY
Argentina, 2007, 35mm, color, subtitled, 86 min.
Directed by Lucía Puenzo
With Inés Efron, Valeria Bertuccelli, Ricardo Darín
XXY explores hermaphrodite Alex's painful search for gender identity when she is pressured by her parents to "choose." Puenzo's sensitive treatment tackles a difficult topic with openness and lack of judgment. This accomplished debut is Argentina's 2008 nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.
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Friday, February 29, 9:10 p.m.
Lucky Day (Un día de suerte)
Argentina, 2002, 35mm, color, subtitled, 94 min.
Directed by Sandra Gugliotta
With Valentina Bassi, Claudio Gallardou, Fernán Mirás
The desire for a better life draws Elsa to Italy, retracing (from the opposite direction) her grandfather's journey to escape poverty decades earlier. Gugliotta effectively expresses, with candor and authenticity, a generation's state of mind. Berlin International Film Festival award winner.
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Saturday, March 1, 7:30 p.m.
The Swamp (La ciénaga)
Argentina/France/Spain, 2001, 35mm, color, subtitled, 103 min.
Directed by Lucrecia Martel
With Graciela Borges, Martín Adejmián, Mercedes Morán
Martel brilliantly captures the decadence of the Argentine middle-class through the story of two families reunited during a hot, humid summer month in Argentina's North. This award-winning debut film made Martel an instant star of the New Argentine Cinema and stars legendary actress Graciela Borges.
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Saturday, March 1, 9:30 p.m.
The Holy Girl (La niña santa)
Argentina/Italy/Netherlands/Spain, 2004, 35mm, color, subtitled, 106 min.
Directed by Lucrecia Martel
With Mercedes Morán, Mía Maestro, Mariá Alche
Nominated for the Golden Palm at Cannes, Martel's amazing second feature film revisits family dysfunction. "Holy girl" Amalia, a 16-year-old virgin, becomes convinced God wants her to save Dr. Jano from himself. "You leave the theatre in a state of quiet awe." - A.O. Scott, NYT
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Sunday, March 2, 2:15 p.m. * Screening Cancelled
Cita en la frontera
Argentina, 1940, 35mm, b/w, subtitled, 90 min.
Directed by Mario Soffici
With Libertad Lamarque, Claudio Martino, Floren Delbene
Cita en la frontera, a 1940s classic, teams famous director Mario Soffici with iconic actress Libertad Lamarque at the height of her Argentine career. Recently preserved by the Academy Film Archive, this tango musical about an amorous triangle will be one of the highlights of this year's festival.
* Regrettably, the Cinematheque has to cancel its screening of Cite en la frontera. Due to circumstances beyond our control, the print will not be available.
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Sunday, March 2, 4:00 p.m.
Momentos
Argentina, 1981, 35mm, color, subtitled, 90 min.
Directed by María Luisa Bemberg
With Graciela Dufau, Miguel Ángel Solá, Héctor Bidonde
Bemberg made this bracing first feature at the age of 58, and quickly became the first female director in her region to achieve consistent international success. In the film, landscaper Lucia's quiet life is disrupted when one of her clients, Nicholas, starts to pursue her.
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