From early on, some people close to the Festival announced it as a discovery of the production: “Mirtha is coming!”
And they said more: “He is going to make a speech in favor of the UBA.” They commented on it with logical satisfaction, as if they knew that her mere presence, the undoubted charisma of someone who has the category of “diva”, her influence in public opinion, all that fire that emanates from her image can, calmly, be equivalent to the effect of a thousand marches. and power grabs. “He’s one of the few people Milei listens to.”
What happened a while ago in the University City was an unthinkable political act. The situation is like this: in the context of the university conflict, the second UBA Film Festival has just begun and Mirtha Legrand She was honored with an Honorary Doctorate.
From the way he sounds, it would seem that he is more than a Martín Fierro. In fact, Mirtha Legrand was elated: “…And I don’t want to stop expressing my support and pride to all those who made the Argentine public university great.” Listening to it reminded us of Raúl Alfonsín.
Mirtha Legrand greets, accompanied by her granddaughter Juana Viale, and her daughter, Marcela Tinayre.
Unusual exaltation for a faculty accustomed, in any case, to other types of celebrities. The FADU auditorium burst with an audience that can go see Serrat and another that is a fan of Emilia Mernes. Hector Olivera and the French-Iranian director Marjane Satrapi – somewhat overshadowed for being only prestigious – also received the award, made the podium, but they had to dance with the ugliest: the radiant popularity of an increasingly amazing woman.
Chiqui’s entire family was there. His granddaughter Juana said “thank you, thank you.” Festival authorities, students, teachers, journalism. Somehow the UBA and the battered national cinema, with their “drastic reduction” in funding, seemed to unite and remain at the forefront of the fight against this government. Education and Culture supported, in this case, by “our usual queen”, as Mirtha was called during the presentation.
Could the diva thing tonight be understood as an example of a genuinely disenchanted woman? With a 97-year-old person, there is not much room for speculation.
“Our free education is the envy of the world. All our Nobel Prizes were received here,” said Mirtha.
The title of “Doctor Honoris Causa” is the highest honorary distinction granted by the University to national or foreign personalities in recognition of excellence and outstanding merits.
“Oh, how nice! What an honor! When they told me, I said, ‘Me, doctor? Where are you from, doctor?’. They told me it was honoris causa and they explained to me why.” Chiqui commented on it days ago, as soon as she heard the news.
Hector Olivera speaks
Héctor Olivera, the notable director of The rebellious Patagonia y The night of the pencilsa modest, sober and well-built man, gave his opinion on Mirtha’s symbolic presence at the university. “If I premiered a play and Chiqui came… All said.”
The director of “Rebellious Patagonia” and “The Night of the Pencils”, Héctor Olivera, honored, even talked about “Chiqui”.
The lady as an unexpected ally. Excellent idea from the organizers. “Not even in my remotest dreams did I imagine this recognition,” she would be amazed in a while.
And now, Mirtha Legrand
Mirtha waited her turn. First they paid tribute to the foreign filmmaker (who had an unexpected family event and sent greetings from a screen) and then it was the turn of Olivera, another 1931 model Highlander. “National cinema is going through a very serious moment.” He said it while pausing to a round of applause. And he immediately asked for the defense of the public university.
On the stage there were five chairs and an armchair reserved for Mirtha. “Don’t make me walk,” he asked loudly, clearly and in good humor. They presented her as a “central figure of the country’s culture.” “Our brightest star,” was heard.
Claudia Villafañe and Cris Morena were present from the stalls of the FADU hall.
The whole expectation was a little strange in the classroom. Among the seats you could see the faces of Teté Coustarot, Claudia Maradona, Cris Morena. There was an operation. “Mirtha has arrived,” one told another and another to another. About 500 people were waiting for her at the headquarters of the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning (FADU).
The day the UBA set its sights on Mirtha Legrand, that great figure from the golden era of national cinema. The star directors we have to google: Mugica, Amadori, Christensen, Saslavsky, Klimovsky, Schlieper, Demare, Tinayre.
They projected a video tribute with clips from movies from when her face could be confused with that of Audrey Hepburn. The clip brought tears to Beto Brandoni’s eyes.
Juanita, Mirtha, Marcela and Olivera, and the “Doctor Honoris Causa” diplomas.
Thirty-six films that range from white comedy to noir drama. “This is a source of pride for me,” she said with a diploma in her hand, splendid, with long legs and that overwhelming nature. “So from now on they call me ‘doctor’,” he smiled. ‘Doctor Mirtha’”.
And reading without glasses, he added: “I don’t want to stop giving my support to those who made our country great. The United States has ten public universities and Argentina, 70. Our free education is the envy of the world. All our Nobel Prizes were received here.”
The networks also spoke: “There was a time in the past when the right was nationalist, enlightened, defending those important things like public education that made this country great. Mirtha Legrand is a faithful exponent of that.”
Or this one: “Ah well, Mirtha Legrand with the universities. You didn’t even expect that one.”
The Festival will run until October 22 and all screenings will be free of charge in different spaces of the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism (FADU, Pavilion 3 of Ciudad Universitaria), the Gaumont cinema (Av. Rivadavia 1635) , at the San Martín Cultural Center (Paraná 310), and at the Cosmos Cinema (Av. Corrientes 2046). This edition is also dedicated to the memory of Manuel Antín (Don Segundo Sombra), recently deceased.
