The Other Down Under: Recent Films from Argentina & Uruguay
The best in world cinema is showcased in City Cinematheque, CUNY TV’s much-loved flagship weekend film series. Hosted by Professor Jerry Carlson and co-produced with the Department of Media and communication Arts of The City College, CUNY, each film is followed by lively discussion with scholars, film professionals and critics.
Saturday & Sunday nights at 9:00 PM, repeated the following Friday night at 12:00 Midnight.
The Pope’s Toilet (El Bano Del Papa)
December 2-3/8
(90 min., Uruguay/ France/ Brazil/ 2007/ Drama/In Spanish with English subtitles) Directed by Cesar Charlone and Enrique Fernandez.
It’s 1988, and Melo, an Uruguayan town on the Brazilian border, awaits the visit of Pope John Paul II. 50,000 people are expected to attend, and the most humble locals believe that selling food and drink to the multitude will just about make them rich. Petty smuggler Beto thinks he has the best idea of all–he decides he will build a WC in front of his house and charge for its use. His efforts bring about unexpected consequences, and the final results will surprise everyone. An alternatingly touching, humorous and poignant story of human dignity and solidarity from director/scriptwriters Enrique Fernandez and noted cinematographer Cesar Charlone (Oscar-nominated “City of God”). Co-produced by Oscar-nominee Fernando Meirelles (“City of God”, “The Constant Gardener”).
Discussion guest: Kathleen Vernon, SUNY Stony Brook
The Window (La Ventana)
December 9-10/15
(85 min., Argentina/Spain | 2008 | Drama | Spanish with English subtitles) Directed by Carlos Sorin.
It is a significant day for 80 year old Antonio. After an absence of many years, his estranged son is coming to visit. All must be perfect. There will be a toast with a very special champagne; an embrace; warm words that may finally bridge the gap between them… But before, Antonio must wait. Bedridden, he looks out his window at the Patagonian landscape and sees light and life, the past and the present, while sensing the future. He decides to secretly leave the house, unseen by his faithful caretakers, to take what might be a last walk in his fields, breathing the air, treading the earth, inhaling the scent of the land that had been his life. What could otherwise seem like insignificant memories or moments in one’s life, take a special, beautiful meaning and weight in this poetic, humanistic film.
Discussion guest: Edna Aizenberg, Marymount Manhattan College
Bad Day to Go Fishing (Mal Dia Para Pescar)
December 16-17/22
(110 min., Uruguay, Spain / 2009 / Drama-Comedy / Spanish with English Subtitles) A film by Alvaro Brechner.
Jacob van Oppen, the former strongest man on earth and his crafty manager, Orsini, make a good living by traveling around small South American towns, organizing wrestling exhibitions in run-down theaters. Once this oddball pair disembarks at the village of Santa Maria, business really kicks off: the local newspaper sponsors the fight and helping hands placard posters announcing an open call for a worthy adversary. Ever so resourceful, Orsini knows how to find the right combatant, but fishing in Santa Maria could lead to a bigger catch than he’d hoped for.
Discussion guest: Carlos Riobo, The City College CUNY
Clandestine Childhood
(Infancia Clandestina)
December 23-24/29
(112 min., Argentina, Spain, Brazil / 2012 / Drama / Spanish with English subtitles) A film by Benjamin Avila.
Argentina, 1979. After years of exile, 12-year-old Juan and his family return to Argentina under fake identities. Juan’s parents and his uncle Beto are Montoneros guerrillas who are fighting against the Military Junta that rules the country. Because of their political activities they are being tracked down relentlessly, and the threat of capture and even death is constant. However, Juan’s daily life is also full of warmth and humor, and he quickly and easily integrates into his new environment. His friends at school and the girl he has a gigantic crush on, Maria, know him as Ernesto, a name he must not forget, since his family’s survival is at stake. Juan accepts this and follows all of his parents’ rules until one day he is told that they need to leave immediately with no explanation. This is a story about militancy, living undercover, and love.
Discussion guest: Beatriz Urraca, Widener University
So Much Water (Tanta Agua)
December 30-31/January 5
(102 min., Uruguay, Mexico, Netherlands and Germany / 2013 / Comedy / Spanish with English subtitles) A film by Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge
Alberto, who doesn’t see his kids Luca and Federico much since his divorce, refuses to allow anything to ruin his plans for vacation at a hot springs resort. But the springs are closed due to heavy rains, and Luca’s adolescent rebellion clashes against her father’s enthusiastic efforts for family quality time. When she meets friends her age, Luca’s vacation starts looking up. But flings can be fleeting, and it’s her father’s reliable insistence they spend time together that proves to be the most meaningful part of their unexpectedly enjoyable getaway.
Discussion guest: Isabel Estrada, The City College CUNY
