As the 14th international BAFICI film festival gets underway and the city is awash with cinephiles, we thought we’d give you a run down of great Argentine directors so that you can hold your own this week when chatting to the moustache-twiddling, beret-sporting, Deleuze loving (that one’s for the real pros) film enthusiasts.

Far from a comprehensive list, our Top 5 Argentine Directors sets out to tell you five directors you should know about, and should give you plenty to chew on while BAFICI is underway.

Leopoldo Torre Nilsson (1924-78)

The grandfather of Argentine film, Leopoldo Torre Nilsson helped bring prestige to Argentine cinema and was the most important figure in inspiring the younger generation of film-makers who started the new-wave in Argentine cinema at the beginning of the 1960s. According to international filmmaker Roman Polanski, he helped bring Argentine cinema up to international quality without ignoring subjects that were integral to Argentina.

Obsessed with the decline of the bourgeois society in his country, his films were often filled with sexual and societal frustration and peopled with dark characters with shadowy pasts who move in decadent environments. He directed. with humour and finesse.

Born in Buenos Aires, the son of the pioneering Argentine director, Leopoldo Torres Ríos, Leopoldo spent his formative years working under with his father and lost in the books of Jorge Luis Borges, Marcel Proust and James Joyce. His mother was an Argentine of Swedish descent and he cited her compatriot, the director Ingmar Bergman, as one of his greatest influences. He lived young and directed fast, making 30 features in little over 25 years.

His most fruitful collaboration was with his wife, the writer Beatriz Guido. Together, they adapted her novels ‘La mano en la trampa’ and ‘La casa del ángel’ into screenplays that became two of his most successful and critically acclaimed films. When the latter came out, French filmmaker and critic Éric Rohmer called it “the best film to have arrived from South America since the beginnings of cinema.”

No stranger to Argentine literature, Torre Nilsson was a friend of the author Ernesto Sabato and also known for directing screenplays based on the work of other Argentine writers including Roberto Arlt, Adolfo Bioy Casares, Jorge Luis Borges, and gauchesque poet, José Hernández.

For more information find Leopoldo Torre Nilsson on IMDB or visit his website

Leonardo Favio (born 1938) 

Born Fuad Jorge Jury, Leonardo Favio lived through a tough childhood in a small town in the north of Mendoza. An Argentine of Syrian descent, he is a true artistic polymath who built a career out of directing, writing, composing, singing and acting. Much lauded in his home continent, many believe he never got the recognition he deserved on the international scene.

Working under the tutelage of Argentine director Torre Nilsson, he was invited to act in films at the end of the 1950s, and the beginning of his career as a director followed shortly after with the production of his first short film in 1960. Four years later, his debut feature ‘Crónica de un niño solo’ cemented his place at the forefront of Argentine cinema.

The influence of filmmakers like the Spanish born Luis Buñuel and founder of French new-wave cinema François Truffaut was evident, although his personal style and strong aesthetics also shone through. He turned the focus away from a popular fixation with the urban bourgeoisie, towards the tough life at the fringes of society. For this reason he is credited with helping to break the barrier between popular culture and high art.

His films, despite shirking away from the mainstream and embracing the experimental, enjoyed a mass appeal in Argentina. Another of his most acclaimed films, ‘El romance del Aniceta y la Francisca’, is considered by many to be one of Argentina’s best.

An element in his life that cannot be ignored is his vehement support of Peronism. In 1999 he released an exhaustive 340-minute documentary about his political idol: ex-president and controversial figure Juan Domingo Perón.

In 2010, he was appointed Argentina’s Cultural Ambassador by fellow Peronist and current president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

For more information find Leonardo Favio on IMDB

Fernando ‘Pino’ Solanas (born 1936)

Fernando ‘Pino’ Solanas was born in Buenos Aires province and has made his name as one of the most important Argentine directors and documentary-makers.

Unlike Favio, Solanas has gained a global recognition, winning the Golden Bear at Germany’s Berlinale, the Special Jury prize at the Venice film festival and the Best Director award at Cannes.

Solanas’ work comes inextricably linked with politics. Any discussion on the director must surely go hand-in-hand with the mention of ‘Grupo Cine Liberación’ – a cinematic movement with which he was strongly affiliated. In the 1960s and 70s, the movement offered a reaction to Latin American politics and global cinema, focusing on making films that were socially and politically committed rather than purely entertainment driven. With their militant cinema they tried to demonstrate that Argentina was a society in crisis.

Their trademark was to make films anonymously, a move that encouraged collective creative processes and also protected them from political repression at a time when dictatorships were starting to emerge across the continent. Their most acclaimed film from the period was a four-hour documentary titled ‘La hora de los hornos: Notas y testimonios sobre el neocolonialismo, la violencia y la liberación’. The film became a symbol of activist cinema during the zenith of leftist politics.

For more information find Fernando ‘Pino’ Solanas on IMDB or visit his website

Armando Bó (1914-81)

The inclusion of director Armando Bó in this list might raise a few eyebrows, but his influence and cult following should not be underestimated.

US filmmaker John Waters once said that when he was searching for inspiration he would look to the Argentine director’s films and wish he spoke Spanish. And well, that’s about as apt an introduction as the director could hope for. He described ‘Fuego’ (Bó’s best-known film) as “a huge influence”, admitting “I forgot how much I stole”.

In a time when sexploitation films were taken more seriously and the line between art-house and soft-core was slightly blurrier, Armando Bó was king. This auteur of sorts made 30 films between 1954 and 1980 – none of which were too subtle or nuanced. He hacked his way through plots, played for slapstick laughs and flashed a lot of flesh but the audience loved it and kept coming back for more.

He made 27 films starring the now retired model and actress Isabel Sarli. Sarli was Miss Argentina 1955, the Brigitte Bardot of Latin America and the filmmaker’s real-life lover.

“You inspired us all to a life of cheap exhibitionism, exaggerated sexual desires and a love for all that is trash-ridden in cinema,” Waters once said of Sarli, but it’s a comment that works just fine for Bó too.

For more information find Armando Bó on IMDB 

Juan José Campanella (born 1959)

Probably the most recognisable name on this list for a contemporary audience, Juan José Campanella is a member of the exclusive two-man club of Oscar-winning Argentine directors. He has spent much of his working life in the United States and has directed several English language films as well as a number of North American television series.

Born and raised in Buenos Aires, he began studying engineering at university but famously dropped out with only a year to go to pursue a career in filmmaking.

He is credited with helping to restore pride in the Argentine film industry which has historically suffered from “chronic self-depreciation”. “In Argentina, a Hollywood movie is innocent until proven guilty. An Argentine movie is the other way around. I have to work really hard to break down that barrier,” he told one US publication in an interview.

Having been previously nominated for an Oscar in 2001 for his film ‘El hijo de la novia’ (‘The son of the bride’), Campanella’s talents as a director were finally recognised in 2010 when his film ‘El secreto de sus ojos’ (‘The secret in their eyes’) was awarded the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

A classy, unpredictable film noir set in 1975 Buenos Aires – it brought the spotlight back on Argentine cinema and helped make him the most bankable homegrown director in Argentine history.

He is currently working on an animated feature called ‘Metegol’ (‘Foosball’) and, the way things are going, it probably won’t be the last time we see him fumbling at his collar nervously at another red carpet event.

For more information find Juan J. Campanella on IMDB

The incumbent mayor Mauricio Macri has won the first round of elections in the city of Buenos Aires by a comfortable margin. With over 99% of votes counted, the leader of the centre-right party PRO reached 47.1% of the vote, falling just short of an outright victory (which required 50%). Macri will now run in a second round on the 31st July against Daniel Filmus, the Frente para la Victoria (FpV) candidate, who obtained 27.8% of the vote.

Just as opinion polls had suggested, the two main candidates finished ahead of the rest by a large margin. In third place, the leader of Proyecto Sur, Pino Solanas, won just 12.8% of the votes. When the early results were released, Solanas was the first candidate to speak publicly, acknowledging that he would not get into second round. Solanas said that Proyecto Sur fought against two governments in a very polarised election and that his party will keep fighting with even more strength now.

PRO Victory

A few hours after voting booths had closed the initial results were published, and barely varied from the final results. Macri reached a lead of almost 20 percentage points above his opponent Filmus—similar to the margin that separated President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner from the second candidate in 2007’s presidential elections. Yesterday’s result proves that Macri’s popularity in the city of Buenos Aires is at least as unquestionable as President Fernández’ leadership on a national level. However, the defeat of the president’s party is not a surprise because history has shown that the capital is generally anti-peronist.

Among the main three candidates, Macri was the second to speak publicly. When he appeared on the stage at PRO’s headquarters, located in the neighbourhood of Palermo, he gave a speech with a presidential tone (Macri still aspires to be president one day). In it, he said that poverty is not an ideological matter and that he wants to see that all the children of Argentina have opportunities. He also mentioned that the capital is a independent city that will not negotiate or sell its freedom, referring to his constant rivalry with the president and national government because of their political differences. At the end of his speech, just as he did in the past elections, he danced on stage with the rest of his team.

At FpV’s headquarters there was also a festive climate, despite the poor results. The candidate to reach second said that his party has much to celebrate because they had never obtained a similar amount of votes in Buenos Aires mayoral elections—(neither had Macri’s party). Filmus thanked the porteños for making the FpV the main opposition in the capital’s legislature and called on all voters to join him in second round. He mentioned the achievements of his party since 2003 and that “Néstor [Kirchner] and Cristina have shown them the direction” in which to continue. Towards the end of his speech he even quoted Borges, saying that this city has never been founded, but is eternal “like the water and the air”.

Two Horse Race

Weeks before the elections the polls were showing a tendency of polarisation favouring Macri and Filmus, which resulted to be true as combined they collected more than 75% of the vote. This polarisation proved the lack of strength of all opposition parties, since PRO and FpV are currently in office in the city and national governments, respectively. Also the lack of debate on the television show “TN” might have helped the two main candidates. Even though Filmus did attend two debates with Solanas elsewhere, Macri did not and therefore never gave his opponents the chance to question his administration publicly.

In fourth place was for the candidate of the Coalición Cívica, María Eugenia Estenssoro who barely reached 3.3 percent of the votes. Following her with 2 percent was Silvana Guidici, the candidate of the Union Cívica Radical—the party of Ricardo Alfonsín, one of President Fernández’ main opponents in next October’s presidential elections.

Besides electing the next mayor of the city of Buenos Aires, the porteños also voted for seats in the legislature. In order for a party to get one seat it must have reached 3% of the vote. The legislature has in total 60 seats and no party controls an absolute majority. With the current results, Macri’s party obtained two more seats and now has the majority with 26 seats. The FpV lost one seat and now has 14, as opposed to Proyecto Sur who obtained one seat and holds 12. The importance of the city legislature lies in the fact that it approves the capital’s sizeable budget, and could yet open a political trial against Macri for the ongoing espionage case that he is involved in.

Given the amount of votes reached by the incumbent mayor, it seems probable he will win in the second round. The supporters of leftist Pino Solanas would seem more likely cast their ballot against him for being centre-rightist, but Solanas did not publicly endorse Filmus either. Different has been the reaction of the Coalición Cívica, whose leader Elisa Carrió—who will be a candidate for president in October—clearly showed her support for Macri over Filmus. Although this party just received 3.3 percent of the votes, added up to Macri’s 47.1, it’s just enough to win second round.

However, until the 31st July the whole city will witness how Filmus, with support from the national government, will battle with Macri and his PRO to see who will be the next leader of Argentina’s capital.

Lead image by Santiago Trusso

Better known as a filmmaker, “Pino” Solanas is currently a congressman representing Proyecto Sur, a leftist party he founded in 2007. At 75 years old he is the eldest candidate.

Latest polls suggest Proyecto Sur will come in a distant third, and therefore be eliminated from a second round run-off. However, the party surprised everyone in the 2009 legislative elections when it finished second in the city of Buenos Aires. In an attempt to capture support from the left and beat Daniel Filmus to second place, one of Proyecto Sur’s campaign mottos is “spread the word, only Pino can beat [Mauricio] Macri.”

Camera Politics

Solanas studied theatre, music and law in Buenos Aires but first became famous as a film director. In the seventies he supported Juan Domingo Perón, which is evident in his award-winning feature “La Hora De Los Hornos,” a documentary that examines racism, social upheaval, massacres and the precarious political situation in Latin America, which could change thanks to a revolutionary rebellion by Peronists.

His artistic eye and political beliefs have repeatedly converged: in 2008 he directed “La Próxima Estación,” a documentary about Argentina’s decaying railway network. A year earlier, he directed “Argentina Latente,” a film that shows how Argentina does not take advantage of its potential, and in 2009 “Oro Impuro” referred to the country’s mining problems.

His political career took off in dramatic circumstances on May 21, 1991, the day after publicly criticizing and accusing the then president Carlos Saul Menem of corruption. Unknown individuals shot Solanas three times in the legs. “The people of Argentina are not going to keep silence or stay. We are not going to kneel down no matter how many threats or attacks we receive from the mafia that is robbing the country,” proclaimed Solanas, while still lying on stretcher.

Solanas’ political career has been intermittent, although he has never stopped being a leftist activist. He was a congressman from 1993 to 1997, after which he did not try to be elected again, saying: “I sadly retire from the congress because I do not see any serious attempt to end corruption.” Ten years later, in 2007, he ran for president with his new party and came in fifth place.

2009 was Pino Solanas’s best political year. Proyecto Sur finished second in the capital in the mid-term legislative elections, behind Macri’s PRO party but above the Kirchnerist candidate. The results of the elections were a surprise— Proyecto Sur had never captured such a high percentage of vote (24%). Some believe that it was thanks to a debate on the TN television show “A Dos Voces”, where Solanas asked sharp questions to all main opponents. Months before the debate, the kirchnerist candidate, Carlos Heller, was second according to the polls, but his party came in fourth.

A Third Option

“The porteño suffers the abuse of two administrations,” complained Solanas during an open interview in June at the Universidad de Palermo. The candidate said that these abuses are the consequence of Macri’s inefficiency and the ignorance of the national Govervment towards issues such as security and inflation.

Among the political promises of Pino Solanas are the plans to build more schools, houses, and hospitals, especially in the south of the capital. He also pledges to apply a law of public development of medications, which Macri vetoed, and the creation of a university of the city.

Solanas originally said he would again run for president in 2011 but decided to step down, perhaps because polls showed Cristina Kirchner with a formidable lead. Now he has focused his attention on being the next mayor of Ciudad de Buenos Aires.

However, recent polls have shown that his opponents, Filmus and Macri, are above Solanas by a long margin, despite his supposed strong support base in the capital. The reason of this lead could be that both candidates have not only the support of parties in office, but they also started their mayoral campaigns long before Solanas.