Despite government cuts, Argentina cinema continues to enjoy international recognition in top film festivals, with four national films selected in the upcoming Cannes Film Festival’s sidebar programs.

Federico Luis’ Simon of the Mountain will compete in the Critics’ Week, Hernán Roselli’s Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed in the Directors’ Fortnight — which also picked Agustina Sánchez Gavier’s Our Own Shadow for its short films competition — and Iair Said’s Most People Die On Sundays in the ACID section, which focuses on independent, disruptive films.

Tuesday’s announcement amid austerity policies which have severely cut the operational funds of the National Institute of Film and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA), and most recently canceled all applications for financial support, virtually interrupting Argentine film production.

While no Argentine films made it to the festival’s main competition (which features only one Latin American film, Karim Ainouz’s Motel Destino), festival president Thierry Frémaux addressed the situation of Argentine film professionals at the presentation of the official competition’s program last Thursday.

“I’d like to express my thoughts for the Argentine people and the Argentine cinema, which is going through economic hardships,” said Frémaux, who also mentioned the Ventana Sur film market, which is co-organized by Cannes’ Marché du Film and INCAA, and is expected to be severely hit by the INCAA cuts.  

“There is a beautiful generation of Argentine artists, and I like to salute them, as well as all film professionals and reporters,” he added.  

The films

Simon of the Mountain, Federico Luis’ debut feature, is a co-production between Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. The story follows Simon, a 21-year-old man who introduces himself as a mover’s helper. He claims not to know how to cook or clean the bathroom, but he does know how to make a bed. However, he seems to have become a different person recently. The lead is played by actor/singer Toto Ferro, who debuted as real-life serial killer Carlos Robledo Puch in Pablo Trapero’s 2018 The Angel.

Luis’ short film La siesta had its international premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival in the Official Short Film Competition, and received an Honorable Mention at the Toronto International Film Festival’s Shortcuts program. It also won Best Short Film at the 2019 Buenos Aires Independent Film Festival (BAFICI).

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed — Roselli’s third feature after his debut fiction Mauro (2014) and his 2018 documentary Casa del Teatro — is the story of a family in which the father disappears and the mother and daughter take family matters into their own hands. 

Iair Said’s sophomore drama Most People Die On Sundays follows a 30-something gay man with a fear of flying, who regretfully returns to his native Argentina to attend his uncle’s funeral. The main cast includes Said himself alongside Rita Cortese (Wild Tales), renowned Chilean actress Antonia Zegers (The Count), and Argentine pop star Juliana Gattas. 

“Argentine cinema is not just culture, it’s also industry and it creates thousands of jobs thanks to INCAA,” Said posted after the announcement. 

“This film wouldn’t have been possible without that support.”