| Feature
Production |
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Uruguayan
long-feature film and video production
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Before the return of Uruguayan film feature
production in 1994, video was the most common format used
by local filmmakers for shooting advertising commercials,
music clips and fiction. This led to the maximum exploitation
of this technical resource, something which enabled outstanding
results very few times achieved by other countries.
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| The premiere of El dirigible in 1994 marked
the beginning of a new stage in the country’s audiovisual
production, since this was the first fiction film shot
in 35 mm in Uruguay by a local crew in a very long time.
Even when this movie disappointed audiences, its excellent
visual and technical results (produced with a budget of
approximately 800,000 dollars) proved Uruguayan film feature
production was possible. It also encouraged other local
directors to materialize their own projects, led to the
opening of several film schools and resulted in national
and municipal government support for film production.
Today, Uruguayan film production has reached incredibly good
technical and artistic standards, a fact that can be confirmed by
many of the important awards obtained by local movies abroad and also
by the recognition achieved by several Uruguayan audiovisual production
firms in the international market of advertising.
Click here for a quick look at all the long-feature film and video movies produced in the country from 1993 to 2004. |
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Film
production in Argentina |
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| Film tradition in Argentina has always been
the most important of South America, a fact that can be
appreciated by the large volume of movies produced in the
country over the years and the attention they garner in
Latin American countries, Europe and the United States.
International recognition obtained by Argentine movies includes
four Oscar-nominated features in the foreign film category
(La tregua, Camila, Tango and El hijo de la novia) and one
Oscar winner (La historia oficial). |
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| During the nineties, important Hollywood productions
such as Alan Parker's Evita (1996) and Jean-Jacques Annaud's
Seven years in Tibet (1997) were shot in Argentine locations
with the help of highly-qualified local film crews and modern
equipment, two factors that enabled successful completion
and excellent visual results. More recently, three major
US productions were also shot in Argentina: Imagining Argentina
(with Emma Thompson and Antonio Banderas), Assassination
Tango (produced, directed and starred by Robert Duvall)
and The Motorcycle Diaries (produced by Robert Redford). |
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| History and evolution |
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| The first Argentine productions were shot
soon after film was launched in Paris, but the industry
arose with sound films in 1933, thus giving birth to the
consolidation of studios, filmmakers (Mario Soffici, Moglia
Barth, Manuel Romero, Luis César Amadori, Lucas Demare,
Luis Saslavsky) and stars (Libertad Lamarque, Tita Merello,
Luis Sandrini, Niní Marshall). |
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| The 1950s marked the beginning of a new era.
Gradually, a new generation of filmmakers such as Hugo del
Carril, Leopoldo Torre Nilsson, Fernando Ayala and Héctor
Olivera stood out. An independent underground movement known
as the sixties generation also arose with José Martínez
Suárez, Manuel Antín, René Mujica,
Lautaro Murúa, Simón Feldman, Fernando Birri
and Leonardo Favio. |
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| Luis Sandrini & Malvina
Pastorino |
Libertad Lamarque
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Mirtha Legrand & Juan Carlos
Thorry
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Nini Marshall & Carlos
Tajes |
Tita Merello |
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| By late 1960s, directors such as Pino Solanas
and Octavio Gettino made provocative political films that
were exhibited in clandestine circles as a challenge to
the military government. Years later, Favio and Hugo Santiago
turned into examples of search for a personal form of expression. |
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| Several films during the 1970s achieved great
reviews and box-office success: Juan Moreira (Favio), La
Patagonia rebelde (Olivera), Oscar-nominated La tregua (Sergio
Renán) and La Raulito (Murúa). A new military
government put an end to this period, but recovery would
come later, with Tiempo de revancha (Adolfo Aristarain),
Plata dulce (Ayala), Últimos días de la víctima
(Aristarain) and La república perdida (Miguel Pérez). |
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| The return of democracy in 1983 opened a new
stage for film production and exhibition. One of the most
important steps was the elimination of the Ente de Calificación
Cinematográfica, an obscure departament which had
been created in 1968 by the military government of General
Juan Carlos Onganía and which had resulted in numerous
film censorship cases during his regime (1966-1970). Sadly
enough, the Ente kept applying bans on both foreign and
local movies until 1983, when Radical Civic Union candidate
Raúl Alfonsín won the presidency through open
and honest elections. To the new government, the consolidation
of democratic institutions and human rights became one of
the top priorities, something that enabled the release of
hundreds of films which had been prohibited by the Ente.
Also, the birth of a new film generation was promoted by
the government. |
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| CAMILA |
La deuda interna |
La historia oficial |
La noche de los lápices
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Darse cuenta |
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| Thus came Oscar-nominated Camila (1984, María
Luisa Bemberg), Oscar-winner La historia oficial (1985,
Luis Puenzo), Tangos: el exilio de Gardel (1985, Solanas),
Hombre mirando al sudeste (1986, Eliseo Subiela), La deuda
interna (1988, Miguel Pereira) and many others directed
by either young or previously neglected filmmakers. Many
of these films obtained international awards. |
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| The 1989 Argentine economic crisis had a devastating
effect on film production, and it took some time for filmmakers
to get back on their feet. Nevertheless, local film production
began showing two different tendencies which would survive
until the present date: the commercial and the independent.
The first category incluyes Tango feroz (1993, Marcelo Piñeyro),
El caso María Soledad (Héctor Olivera, 1993),
Perdido por perdido (1993, Alberto Lecchi), Peperina (1995,
Raúl de la Torre), Caballos salvajes. (1995, Piñeyro),
El mundo contra mí (1996, Beda Docampo Feijóo),
Comodines (1997, Jorge Nisco), La furia (1997, Juan Bautista
Stagnaro), Dibu, la película (1997, Carlos Olivieri
y Alejandro Stoessel), Cenizas del paraíso (1997,
Piñeyro), Cohen vs. Rossi (1998, Daniel Barone),
Un argentino en Nueva York (1998, Juan José Jusid),
La venganza (1999, Juan Carlos Desanzo), Alma mía
(1999, Barone), Esa maldita costilla (1999, Jusid), La edad
del sol (1999, Ariel Piluso), Papá es un ídolo
(2000, Jusid), Plata quemada (2000, Piñeyro), Apariencias
((2000, Lecchi), Chiquititas rincón de luz (2001,
José Luis Massa), Nada por perder (2001, Enrique
Aguilar), Apasionados (2002, Jusid), El día que me
amen (2003, Barone), Un día en el paraíso
(2003, Stagnaro) and Vivir intentando (2003, Tomás
Yankelevich), among others. |
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| On the other hand, independent low budget
films were introduced by more creative directors who rejected
formulas, searched for innovative authenticity or went for
auteur filmmaking. Among them are Pablo Trapero (Mundo grúa,
El bonaerense), Bruno Stagnaro and Adrián Caetano
(Pizza, birra, faso), Lucrecia Martel (La ciénaga),
Martín Rejtman (Rapado, Silvia Prieto), Daniel Burman
(Un crisantemo estalla en cinco esquinas, Esperando al mesías),
Adrián Caetano (Bolivia, Un oso rojo), Ana Poliak
(Que vivan los crotos), Ciro Capellari (Hijo del río),
Esteban Sapir (Picado fino), Fernando Spiner (La sonámbula),
Marco Bechis (Garage Olimpo) and Alejandro Agresti (Buenos
Aires viceversa, Una noche con Sabrina Love) among others.
In the last couple of years, there have also been a few
examples of genre commercial movies praised by the critics
such as Nueve reinas (2000, Fabián Bielinsky), Oscar-nominated
El hijo de la novia (2001, Juan José Campanella)
and La fuga (2001, Eduardo Mignogna). |
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| Papa es un idolo |
La ciénaga |
El hijo de la novia |
Un oso rojo |
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