From San Sebastian
He Argentine cinema was once again the protagonist on the last day of the San Sebastian Festivalat the awards and closing ceremony, which took place on Saturday afternoon. A special segment of the gala –televised live throughout Spain by RTVE– was dedicated to national production to reflect the extraordinary presence of Argentine cinema in all sections, with clips of the different films and statements from the enormous delegation that was in Donostia these days, in particular last Tuesday the 24th, when made a massive act of official support for the cinema reviled by Javier Milei’s government.
The surprise was the appearance of a solidarity video sent especially by Ricardo Darín. “Not being able to physically be there for work reasons,” said the actor, who is concluding filming for the series. The Eternaluta– I did not want to miss this opportunity to be present because of the invitation that my friend José Luis Rebordinos made me. “I want to thank you very much for all this movement, this statement, this hug, this support, because it is a moment in which we truly need it.”
A few minutes before, The jockeydirected by Luis Ortega, Argentine candidate for the Hollywood Oscarhad won the award for best film in the Horizontes Latinos section“for the way in which it creates a universe governed by its own rules and then calls them into question,” according to the jury’s reasoning. The protagonist of the film, Nahuel Pérez Biscayartan Argentine actor with international projection, was in charge of receiving the award and bringing the audience to their feet with a fiery speech in defense of Argentine cinema.
“The films that made me an actor,” said Pérez Biscayart, “were made in Argentina and all of those films had the support of the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts. And if I was able to be an actor it is because in my country we believe in fantasy and structures were set up so that those fantasies could be expressed, like the Film Law, for example. As many of you know, but it bears repeating, “The current Argentine government is determined to carry out a plan to destroy the national industry and with that plan it also destroys the national culture and Argentine cinema.”.
And he continued: “They think they are very scoundrels and very militant for freedom, but behind the self-deception in which they live, this hatred they profess, there is no freedom. They may try, but they are not going to destroy us, we are not going to erase our memories or our future. And know that all the love that comes from coming together to make our films, those of our country, will always be, but always much stronger than all the contempt with which they attack us. Long live Argentine cinema! This award demonstrates once again that Argentine cinema is seen a lot, liked, exported and, not only that, adds value, attracts investments and leaves money in the country. Yes, this must also be said for these people who only see things with commercial eyes.”
Biscayart, who wore a Palestinian cockade on his black suit, added: “Long live free, united, diverse, human Palestine too. Let’s not forget it, let’s not look the other way. And I also want to dedicate this award to Daniel Fanego (ndr: is part of the cast of The jockey), that you got away from us a little too quickly. This award is also for you.”
In the official competition record, the Golden Shell for best film went to Lonely afternoonsthe extraordinary documentary by Catalan Albert Serra about bullfighting, a film that aroused many controversies but that prevailed due to its immense artistic quality, as already noted at length in these pages. But he best direction award was shared by two debutant and very young filmmakers, the Portuguese Laura Carreira for On Falling y the Spanish Pedro Martín-Calero, for The cryingan Argentine co-production by Juan Pablo Miller for his company Tarea Fina. In his acceptance speech, the Spanish filmmaker noted that “half of this film was shot in Argentina, it could be made with the support of Incaa and therefore I am grateful to be a modest part of great Argentine cinema.” In the Zabaltegi-Tabakalera section, dedicated to the most radical cinema, the Argentine film Collective monologue, de Jessica Sarah Rinlandproduced by Melanie Schapiro for her company Trapecio Cine, had a special mention.
In turn, the Argentine film Reasby Lola Arias, which had its world premiere last February at the Berlinale, won the Sebastiane awardLGTBIAQ+ award from the San Sebastián Festival. In the words of the jury, the award was granted to her “for her representation through music of the reality of trans women and men in Argentine prisons who struggle to live a full and happy life in a punitive society” in the words of the jury. .
For its part, the Argentine Francisco Lezama (winner of the Berlinale Golden Bear Shorts 2024 for his short A strange movement) obtained two distinctions in San Sebastián at the Europe-Latin America Co-production Forum with your project The two landscapes and thanked the festival for its support of Argentine cinema. And at WIP Latam, the film is in the process of completion A loose endwritten and directed by Daniel Hendler, a Uruguayan production with Argentine participation (Wanka Cine) won the main prize in the section.
