Argentine cinema does have those who love it. Directors, actors and producers have had a very special day on Tuesday at the San Sebastian Film Festival, which called for an event to support Argentine cinematography, in the face of the dismantling of its industry and the absolute lack of support from Javier Milei’s government, which puts the future of independent cinema in the country in a very delicate and worrying situation. “It is very sad and devastating, but we have no choice but to stay in the trenches resisting and, in the face of the attacks, continue making the cinema in which we believe has a place in the world,” said director Diego Lerman, who presented the film in the official section of Zinemaldia The man who loved flying saucers.
The event, attended by the director of Zinemaldia, José Luis Rebordinos, and the president of the Argentine Film Academy, Hernán Findling, brought together directors such as Diego Lerman and Nicolás Gil, actors such as Leonardo Sbaraglia and Renata Lerman, and producers such as Gabriel Hochbaum, among others, on the steps of Kursaal 1. “In these difficult times, receiving such support, solidarity and visibility from a festival like San Sebastián is truly moving and important for us,” Lerman said in statements to this newspaper.
The support event, which was also attended by the vice presidents of the Spanish Film Academy, Rafael Portela and Susi Sánchez, coincided with the presentation in the Official Section of Diego Lerman’s film and the documentary Transferswhich investigates the so-called death flights during the Argentine dictatorship (1976/1983), directed by Nicolás Gil. In total, the 72nd edition of the festival hosts 16 films produced wholly or partially in Argentina, in the different sections.
Rebordinos read a manifesto from the San Sebastian festival management in which it expressed solidarity with the Argentine industry and its rejection of the policies of Milei’s government that “endanger the development not only of its cinematography, but also of its culture.” The director of Zinemaldia, after assuring that the event was not an interference in Argentine politics, said that the festival cannot remain on the sidelines “of the dismantling of a national cinematography by a government that justifies a military dictatorship that murdered thousands of citizens.” Rebordinos extended this solidarity to other Latin American film industries that are going through difficulties, such as the Venezuelan one, where a large part of its cinema “is being made from exile” and ended his speech with: “Long live Argentine cinema,” while the attendees shouted: “The country is not for sale.”
With the arrival of Javier Milei to the Government in December 2023, the situation of culture in Argentina is going through particularly worrying times. The drastic government cuts have hit the industry hard. “It is a tragic and dark moment. We have a Government that attacks us and has declared us enemies not only of cinema, but of the culture sector in general, also of education, health and science. We have to highlight not only what we do, but what we believe. Now we not only have no support, but we are constantly attacked with lies. At some point this will pass, but the problem is the damage it leaves and what it will cost to rebuild. Sadly, we Argentines are used to permanent reconstruction,” explains Diego Lerman, in a conversation with this newspaper with the protagonist of his film, Leonardo Sbaraglia.
“Unlike in 2001, we don’t know the scope and how far this kind of vacuum and this obvious attack will continue. We haven’t attacked anyone and we have found ourselves in a conflict scenario that Milei’s government has created,” says Sbaraglia. “The last thing we want to do is talk about this when we are presenting a wonderful film that we have made with people who work their asses off, like me, who have been in the profession for almost 40 years to be able to grow, to be able to do my job better and for the public to feel dignity and communion and inspiration in relation to the work that one does,” laments the indignant actor, who recalled the words of director Adolfo Aristaraín, when receiving the award from the Spanish Film Academy in Buenos Aires: “It’s not that we have to save cinema, we have to save Argentina.”
The president of the Argentine Film Academy, Hernán Findling, in office since January 2022, speaks of a “complex” situation. “Film is being produced in Argentina, but almost exclusively industrial, commercial or platform films. The INCAA (National Institute of Film and Audiovisual Arts) has not been promoting independent cinema since the beginning of the year, which means that no film can be filmed. The INCAA was the support for auteur productions. Now only commercial and mass films are made, which seems good to me, but it is essential that there continues to be auteur cinema, the kind that is more experimental and where great directors come from. Without that, Argentine cinema will be entirely commercial, with the consequent loss of culture,” says the president of the Academy, an institution that has become the visible face and reference of Argentine cinema inside and outside its country and in the major festivals of the world. Findling trusts in the negotiation with those responsible for the INCAA and is optimistic. “I believe in Argentine cinema and its talent. We Argentines have already gone through many ups and downs and we always recover,” he adds.
For Nicolás Gil, director of Transfersthe consequences of the policy being carried out by INCAA are disastrous. “The INCAA director’s speech is that all the films made in Argentina since 2000 are bad. Clearly he hasn’t seen any. Of course, if 200 films are made a year, there are bad ones and good ones, as in all countries, but ignoring such a powerful cinematography that has given so much visibility to a country inside and outside is very worrying. For them, culture is useless. Culture is the identity of a people. If the State does not support its cinematography, we will end up with the identity of a country,” says Gil.
The actress and producer of the documentary TransfersZoe Hochbaum (Buenos Aires, 25 years old) talks about the “delicate moment” that her country is experiencing, also with the denial of the atrocities of the military dictatorship. “Cinema is fundamental, it is not a mere entertainment tool. Cinema tells us the story of a country. With Transfers “We are telling something that happened. Cinema makes things eternal. We are turning our backs on something more than entertainment. It contributes a lot in a democracy,” explains Hochbaum, determined not to give up.
The Argentine writer and journalist Leila Guerriero, a member of the jury of the Official Section at this 72nd edition, has also joined in. “The film policy of Milei’s government is governed solely by the market and the number of tickets sold. In this way, the authorial voice is prevented, which is extremely alarming,” says Guerriero, who asks: “Besides, who knows in advance whether a film will be successful or not? What is the concept of success?”
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