The Disturbing Tension Surrounding Argentine Cinema at Bafici: INCAA Restructuring and Uncertainty

The disturbing tension that surrounds Argentine cinema ended up taking over this Bafici somehow, a festival with a greater presence of short films and national films in each edition. lcomplaints and comments about the restructuring that has already begun on the INCAA are repeated in demonstrations full of declarations of principle and demands for struggle from a good part of the directors, producers and actors of the listed films, in fear suspicion of evacuating the institution and closing its flagship location in the Gaumontthe cinema with the largest room in the sample.

The Bafici ended up presiding over the application of various departments regarding the institutional settingrequested even since the programs were announced weeks before the start of the festival.

Rumors circulated this weekend about the possible closure of INCAA, but There is no official confirmation about it. Yes, the institution will be restructured.

The Argentinian film chosen for the opening was so strong Alfonsina Storni Private Schoolby the asexual Lucía Seles, and the gala included a reading from the stage – after the festival presentation by her authorities – of a harsh statement against the government (and the white back of a bottle of light blue nail polish that the filmmaker acted out while she was performing, but that’s another story). The festival institution that opened the exhibition soon found the filmmaker Bebe Kaminone of the honors of the exhibition, ensuring that Argentine cinema is unstable without an effective cultural policy.

The main event of the festival this time seemed to be that it was going to live outside the venues, thanks to the decision to put together a special activity with a proposal from meeting with 28 directors of short and special films of the Argentine competition to discuss the past, present and future of local cinema, always focusing on current INCAA events.

The panel, which was moderated by Bafici director Javier Porta Fouz, had a strong filmmaker presence and started with the general agreement that Argentine cinema is not possible without cultural policies. Beyond the question of changes at the institute that did not go down well or the intervention of some observers who were hotter than the panelists, Anxiety was the main tone due to the uncertainty about the institute’s next steps regarding the possibility of a national cinema..

The context made it logical that there is more talk about politics than movies talk with directors about Argentine cinema, held this weekend at the San Martín Cultural Center.

The films seem to have lost a certain prominence as they have been relegated to their current state.despite the fact that they have shown several of the strongest vessels at the festival with the latest Tailor’s Needsfrom Hong Sangsoo, The Empireby Bruno Dumont, Cosmetic thumbnailsAlexander Kluge, eighty years old, o Lead the poemby Julio Bressane.

Among the most renowned national filmmakers who have already appeared in the show is Néstor Frenkel with the humorous documentary after a good dayLiliana Paonlinelli with her eyes on Abelardo Castillo in one who writes o Martín Farina with the annual event that reunites four conscripts from 1977 onwards The changing of the guard.

Even established classics like after some timeby Martin Scorsese, Paris, Texasby Wim Wenders, the Crazy loveby Jacques Rivette, discovered the idea of ​​silence that is seen when they wander around the festival. Bafici has a week left full of launches to enjoy a great national cinema show and even review some films from the glorious past, but There is a feeling that the anxiety about the future will not disappear during the seven days of the festival that are left between now and Sunday the 28th..