<<< November 17 - 20, 2005 >>>

A JOINT EFFORT OF THE CONSULATE GENERAL AND PROMOTION CENTER OF ARGENTINA IN LOS ANGELES, THE AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE AND OUR NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CINEMATOGRAPHY AND AUDIO-VISUAL ARTS (I.N.C.A.A.)

Official Website click here.

Argentine cinema has finally won Hollywood's attention from the critical acclaim for their movies as well as the strong impact they've had at international film festivals. This showcase includes a number of L.A. premieres of motion pictures recently released by the Argentine film industry, and most will feature the directors and producers in attendance, giving the opportunity for Q&A sessions after each screening.

On each of the previous editions of this series, an audience totaling 3,000 people joined us for the three day presentation. The closing night film, which has traditionally consisted of national submissions to the Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards, gives the audience the chance of sharing the occasion with the director, producer and members of the cast, a unique opportunity usually sold out in advance. All films will be shown in Spanish language with English subtitles.

The Argentina New Cinema series is a joint effort of The Consulate General and Promotion Center of Argentina in Los Angeles, The American Cinematheque and our National Institute of Cinematography and Audio-Visual Arts (I.N.C.A.A.).

Thursday, November 17 - 7:30PM

Opening Night!

EL PERRO (THE DOG), (2004), Bavaria Film Festival, 97 min. The latest film from renowned filmmaker Carlos Sorin (LA PELICULA DEL REY) is the story of mechanic named Coco (Juan Villegas), struggling through unemployment and social barriers with only a dog as a companion. As Innaritu did in his AMORES PERROS and De Sica in THE BICYCLE THIEF, Sorin establishes a bond between the character and his pet, and describes in an almost neorealistic style the reality of dogfairs and the enchanting landscape of Patagonia. Also starring Walter Donado, Micol Estévez, Kita Ca. Join us for the Opening Night Reception and DJ set after the film from 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM sponsored by the Argentinean Consulate.

Friday, November 18 - 7:30 PM

EL VIENTO (THE WIND), 2005, Distribution Company, 97 min. Director Eduardo Mignogna (CLEOPATRA) directs a thriller with the tone of an Eric Rohmer movie. Frank Osorio (Federico Luppi of LUGARES COMUNES), after the death of his daughter, is determined to meet his granddaughter and tell her the truth about himself and his family. Using a simple and straightforward style, Mignogna slowly pulls the audience into the intimate reality of the two characters, along with the peculiar personalities that congregate around them. Also starring Antonella Costa, Pablo Cedrón and Mariana Briski.

Friday, November 18 - 10:00 PM

LAS MANTENIDAS SIN SUEÑO (KEPT WITHOUT DREAMS), 2005, Primer Plano Film Group S.A., 93 min. Dirs. Martín De Salvo and Vera Fogwill. Buenos Aires, 2002: Nine year old Eugenia and her mother Florencia, too young to be a parent, have an inverted mother-daughter relationship. Florencia's own mother occasionally helps out financially, but has been emotionally distanced from her child for many years. An intimate portrait of an irresponsible addict who tries to kick her habit and a young child who knows exactly what she would do if she were a mother. An enchanting and delicate work. Starring Vera Fogwill, Elsa Berenguer, Mirta Busnelli and Mia Maestro.

DEUDA, 2004, Buena Vista International, 90 min Dirs. Jorge Lanata, Andés Schaer. Widely recognized in Argentina as the pioneer of research journalism in the mass media, Jorge Lanata debuts on the big screen as the director, writer and protagonist of a film documenting Argentina's greatest "karma": foreign debt. Everything starts when an eight-year-old girl, Barbara Flores, cries for hunger on a television program hosted by Lanata. The image of the crying girl moves the whole country and sets off an intense political and media campaign, putting the spotlight on the proud thousands mired in poverty. The film is the story of economic persecution and the quest to find the culprit for tears shed by the multitude. An intricate plot of local corruption unfolds, fed by international bureaucratic aloofness, with vignettes built around Washington D.C., Buenos Aires, Tucumàn, Punta del Este and Davos. Producer Octavio Nadal will introduce the film.

Saturday, November 19 - 6:30 PM

HERMANAS (SISTERS) 2005, Buena Vista International, 88 min. Directed by Silver Condor (the Argentinean equivalent to the Oscars) actress Julia Solomonoff (HISTORIAS MINIMAS). Two of the best actresses in the Latino panorama (Argentine Valeria Bertuccelli and Spanish Ingrid Rubio), star in this emotional story of two sisters who live very different lives. After fleeing from their ancestral home, Elena (Bertuccelli) settles in the United States. Her life is normal: she is the perfect housewife and the best mother, trying to convince herself that the American dream is what will make her forget the past. Natalia, on the other hand, is aggressive, passionate and stubborn. She never has never given up on her past and, as a free spirit, roams the world to discover the truth behind her love's death. An interesting parallel between two women and how they cope with the past of a country so close to modernism, but so full of secrets and painful historical realities. Also starring Adrián Navarro, Nicolás Pauls, Milton De La Canal and Eusebio Poncela. Producer Octavio Nadal will introduce the film.

Saturday, November 19 - 9:00 PM

This film will not screen as was previously announced. EL AURA (THE AURA) (2005, Celluloid Dreams, 138 min.).

The following film will screen in its place:

El METODO (The Grönholm Method) Argentina, Italy, Spain, 2005, 115 min, Color, 35mm (In English). The Grönholm method is a slick modern thriller about the extremes to which people will go in today's corporate world. Director Marcelo Piñeyro has created a provocative situation for his characters. What lengths will people go to for the sake of their jobs? And what is it that allows employers to act in a dehumanizing fashion?

In Madrid, while anti-globalization demonstrators flood the streets, candidates are being finalized for a single high-level position at a multinational corporation. There is a tense, competitive atmosphere among the group. Feelings of distrust increase when they realize they are aspiring for the same position, and that the Grönholm Method (a human resources strategy supposedly imported from the United States) is being used to assess their respective merits. They find themselves pitted against one another in a contest that elicits fear, suspicion, paranoia and betrayal. The humiliation these people are willing to endure or inflict on others for the sake of the job is chilling to witness.

Saturday, November 19 - 9:30 PM

[Spielberg Theatre]

Shorts from Argentina.

Juan Pablo Zaramella's "Journey to Mars" (18 min). A boy's grandfather takes him to Mars. Really! Lautaro Nunez De Arco's "Mas Que El Mundo" (8 min). A young hunter whose only friend is his dog falls in love with a girl at a folk party. Sebastian Leda's "Trysting" (10 min). The misfortunes of blind dating and the importance of first impressions. Pascui Rivas' "El Sereno" (22 min). A night watchman in an art museum in Buenos Aires is blackmailed in order to keep his job. Javier Prado's "Far From the Sun" (15 min). An immigrant Argentine family are lost in Los Angeles without their close family ties. Gustavo Taretto's "Sidewalls" (28 min). A look at two parallel lives. Sebastian Leda (Trysting), Pascui Rivas (El Sereno) & Javier Prado will be part of a Q & A to follow the screening.

For complete details, titles and information check here or www.consuladoargentino-losangeles.org closer to the date.

Saturday, November 19 - 11:15 PM

LA SUERTE ESTA ECHADA (THE DIE IS CAST) , 2005, Buena Vista International, 97 min. Dir. Sebastián Borensztein. Two half brothers meet again after being reunited by their dying father. The old man entertains them with bizarre tales of his youth and makes awkward requests as his "last wishes". As if this wasn’t enough to go through, both the young men are already having a hard time coping with their own lives: Felipe (Marcelo Mazzarello) is a theatre actor who is going through a horrible crisis of being thought of as "cursed" and Guillermo (Gastón Pauls) has just been dumped by his girlfriend and has to live with the drama of getting to work on time. Both are re-united by faith (suerte). Also starring Paola Krum, Leticia Brédice and Julieta Cardinali. Producer Octavio Nadal will introduce the film.

Sunday, November 20 - 5:00 PM
PALERMO HOLLYWOOD, 2004 Warner Bros,.113 min., Dir. Eduardo Pinto. In a country corrupted by poverty, Pablo and Mario are very good friends, despite their different origins. They are both involved in minor crimes until Pablo and his family decide to take off on their own. But a twist of fate leads them into an "express-kidnapping" which ends in an unexpected way. The action is set in Palermo, a neighborhood of crime and prostitution in Buenos Aires. It is also a place that had united the two young men in childhood, but will leave a permanent scar on their lives. With Brian Maya, Matias Desiderio. Producer/Actor Brian Maya and Producer/Actor Matias Desiderio will appear for discussion following the film.

Sunday, November 20 - 7:30 PM
CAMA ADENTRO (LIVE-IN MAID), 2004, Distribution Company, 85 min. Dir. Jorge Gaggero This modern Argentine drama follows the wealthy Beba Pujol (Oscar Winer,  Norma Aleandro ) and her maid, Dora (Norma Argentina) as they go through the economic crisis in Argentina. Beba, a formerly rich matron, can do nothing but hold onto her memories and her past splendors, while Dora is embattled between loyalty to her employer (with whom she has spent almost a lifetime) and the necessity of finding another job that will save her from poverty in a forgotten Buenos Aires. Director Jorge Gaggero will appear for a discussion following the film.