Argentine cinema is one of the most advanced in Latin America and has made great strides in recent decades with a number of internationally acclaimed films. Over the years, filmmakers have been able to convey the events of each era through their films and even innovate with some of their techniques and subjects. Despite the quality of their productions, both Argentina and the rest of the Latin American countries are often underrated powerhouses, and few films have crossed the borders of the region.
Fortunately, this is slowly changing and Argentina is in the limelight at film festivals and other global institutions. In fact, seven of the country’s films have been nominated for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars, with two winning: La Historia Official (The official story) and El Secreto de sus Ojos (The secret in their eyes), in 1986 and 2010 respectively, Argentina became one of three Latin American countries to ever win an Oscar, and the only one to do so twice.
Last September, an Argentine movie was released on Prime Video and it generates Oscar buzz with high chances of winning a third frame for the country: Argentina, 1985, a historical drama film that follows the trial of the juntas as they persecuted the leaders of Argentina’s last civil-military dictatorship, one of the country’s darkest periods. Less than a month after its release, the film is this year’s most-watched film in its native country, and per Deadline, has been selected as an Argentine entry to compete in the Best International Feature Film category at the upcoming Oscar Awards. This is why it is a must see movie.
An essential film for Argentine history
Few Argentine films inspired audiences what? Argentina, 1985 has: theaters filled with moviegoers of all ages, moved to tears by memories of the darkest period in the country’s history, and a standing ovation for justice. While far from being a documentary, this fictional film based on real events is beautifully constructed and has grown into a social, political and economic phenomenon that is still talked about by everyone. Argentina, 1985 follows Julio César Strassera and Luis Moreno Ocampo, prosecutors responsible for bringing to justice the main perpetrators of Argentina’s bloodiest military dictatorship, who engaged in practices such as kidnapping, torture and forced disappearances of people . In a short time, they must assemble a team and go through all the evidence to give the accused commanders what they did not give their victims: a fair trial.
Considering the topic Argentina, 1985, it’s no wonder it resonated so deeply in Argentine society. But the phenomenon didn’t stop there: moviegoers from all over the world were touched by the events of Argentina’s darkest period, reconstructed through the various testimonies of survivors uncovered during the junta’s trial.
Ricardo Darín and Peter Lanzani: a winning pair
This production by Santiago Miter, which he co-wrote with Mariano Llinás, is objectively successful in many respects. But probably one of Argentina, 1985The best achievement is the casting of the main protagonists, who are a perfect combination between established and growing talent. Julio César Strassera is portrayed by an emblematic figure of Argentine cinema: none other than Ricardo Darín. This outstanding actor is one of the most renowned in the country, starring El Secreto de sus Ojos, who won an Oscar in 2010, and in two other Oscar-nominated films, among others. Luis Moreno Ocampo, meanwhile, was played by Peter Lanzani, an actor with a soaring career, who has become one of Argentina’s most promising actors in recent years. This surprising combination makes perfect sense and elevates this production to the highest standards. Join Darín and Lanzani in Argentina, 1985 include Alejandra Flechner, Laura Paredes, Carlos Portaluppi, Susana Pampín, Norman Briski, Hector Díaz and Alejo García Pintos.
Fighting Movie Theaters
The phenomenon that Argentina, 1985 represented for the country becomes even more important when we take into account an important fact: the major cinema chains of the country refused to distribute the film. This decision had a lot to do with the conditions imposed by Amazon Studios, which co-produced the film, limitation of exhibition in local theaters. Amazon’s business model requires the film to premiere in theaters and run for just three weeks, followed by its release on Prime Video. From then on, the film would remain available both in theaters and on the streaming platform. Because major chains rejected these terms, the film was distributed by national and independent theaters. Surprisingly, this boycott had a positive and unexpected result: Argentina, 1985 had a much greater national reach than the rest of the films, and audience demand prompted theaters to restore showtimes that had been discontinued years ago.
International Festivals and Oscar Buzz
Argentina, 1985Its world premiere was quite remarkable: it had its first screening on September 3 at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Lion. At the festival it won the FIPRESCI Award and a SIGNIS Award Special Mention. A few weeks later, the film was screened at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, where it won the People’s Choice Award. The Argentine premiere was on September 29, followed by a screening at the London Film Festival in October, where the production was nominated for Best Picture. The future looks bright for this film, as it has been selected as an Argentine entry for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars and Best Ibero-American Film at the Goya Awards. Indeed, the whole country is eagerly awaiting the production to be chosen from among the official nominees. Until then, the producers of this hit believe their number one priority right now is working on distribution Argentina, 1985 so that it reaches as many people as possible to spread the word about the history of the country.