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La Ciénaga (film)
Encyclopedia
La ciénaga (2001
) is an Argentine
, Spanish
, and French
film, written and directed by Lucrecia Martel
. The film was executive produced by Ana Aizenberg, Diego Guebel, Mario Pergolini
, and produced by Lita Stantic
. The picture features Graciela Borges
, Mercedes Morán
, Martín Adjemián
, Daniel Valenzuela
, among others.
The picture is set in the high plains of northwestern Argentina and portrays the life of a self-pitying Argentine bourgeois family.
The film tells the story of Mecha (Graciela Borges
), a middle-aged woman in her 50s who has several teenagers. Her husband Gregorio (Martín Adjemián
) wants to remain looking young, and both of them have to deal with their gloomy Amerindian
servants, whom Mecha accuses of theft and laziness. Both Mecha and Gregorio take to drinking
to cope with day-to-day living.
In order to avoid the hot and humid weather of the city, the family spends their summers in their rural shabby country home that they have named "La Mandragora".
Mecha's cousin, Tali (Mercedes Morán
), lives in the nearby city of La Ciénaga (The Swamp, in English) and has a brood of small, noisy children and a husband, Rafael (Daniel Valenzuela
), who loves his family and also hunts.
Before long, the crowded domestic situation in both homes strains the families' nerves, exposing repressed family mysteries, and tensions that threaten to erupt into violence.
has said in media interviews that the story is based on "memories of her own family." She has also said, "I know what kind of film I've made. Not a very easy one! For me, it's not a realistic film. It's something strange, a little weird. It's the kind of film where you can't tell what's going to happen, and I wanted the audience to be very uncomfortable from the beginning."
Filming location
The film was shot entirely in Martel's home town, Salta
, in Salta Province
, Argentina.
on February 8, 2001. It opened in Argentina on March 8, 2001 at the Mar del Plata Film Festival
, and enjoyed wide release in Argentina on April 12, 2001.
The drama was also shown at various film festivals, including: the Karlovy Vary Film Festival; the Toronto Film Festival; the New York Film Festival
; the Warsaw Film Festival; International Film Festival, Rotterdam; the Titanic International Filmpresence Festival, Hungary; the Adelaide International Film Festival; the Uruguay International Film Festival; and the Havana Film Festival
, Cuba
.
In the United States
, it was presented at the New York Film Festival
on October 2, 2001. It also opened in Los Angeles
on October 12, 2001.
, critic Stephen Holden liked Lucrecia Martel's debut film, and called it "remarkable," writing, "The steamy ambiance in which the characters fester is a metaphor for creeping social decay...La ciénaga perspires from the screen, it creates a vision of social malaise that feels paradoxically familiar and new."
Critic David Lipfert also liked the director's various sociological
messages and metaphor
s contained in the film. He believes the "New Argentina Cinema" is moving beyond the themes related to the military dictatorship period of the late 1970s and early 1980s. He wrote, "[Martel's] intense, in-your-face portrait of a dissolute middle class lacks the usual justifying criminal context. Martel simply holds up a mirror to Argentine society, and the result is devastating. Instead of creating an allegory with archetypes, she shows characters that are all too real. When still, her camera is low and close as though we were right on top of the actors."
When the film opened in New York City
, the film critic for The Village Voice
Amy Taubin wrote, "Lucrecia Martel's La Ciénaga is a veritable Chekhov
tragicomedy of provincial life. Making a brilliant debut, Martel constructs her narrative from quotidian incidents, myriad comings and goings, and a cacophony of voices competing for attention...[i]n a debut feature that's assured in every aspect, Martel's direction of the younger members of her cast is particularly notable."
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
reported that 86% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on thirty-six reviews.
Nominations
2001 in film
The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
) is an Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
film, written and directed by Lucrecia Martel
Lucrecia Martel
Lucrecia Martel is a film director, screenplay writer, and producer.According to film critic Joel Poblete, who writes for Mabuse, a cinema magazine, Lucrecia Martel is one of the members of the so-called "New Argentina Cinema" which began c...
. The film was executive produced by Ana Aizenberg, Diego Guebel, Mario Pergolini
Mario Pergolini
Mario Daniel Pergolini is an Argentine journalist, media producer and businessman, best known as the former main host of the television programme Caiga Quien Caiga broadcast on Argentina's Telefe....
, and produced by Lita Stantic
Lita Stantic
Élida Stantic , and more commonly known and credited as Lita Stantic, is an Argentine cinema producer, screenplay writer, and director....
. The picture features Graciela Borges
Graciela Borges
Graciela Borges is an Argentine television and film actress.She has been working in the Argentine cinema and television since her first role in the film Zafra ....
, Mercedes Morán
Mercedes Morán
Mercedes Morán is a film and television actress.She works in the cinema of Argentina.-Filmography:* La Ciénaga aka The Swamp* Próxima salida * Whisky Romeo Zulu...
, Martín Adjemián
Martín Adjemián
Martín Adjemián , was a film and television actor. He worked in the cinema of Argentina.He died on January 3, 2006 of cancer.In 1988 he appeared in Asesinato a distancia....
, Daniel Valenzuela
Daniel Valenzuela
Daniel Valenzuela , is a prolific film and television actor. He has also done some screenplay writing. He works in the cinema of Argentina....
, among others.
The picture is set in the high plains of northwestern Argentina and portrays the life of a self-pitying Argentine bourgeois family.
Plot
Graciela Borges
Graciela Borges is an Argentine television and film actress.She has been working in the Argentine cinema and television since her first role in the film Zafra ....
), a middle-aged woman in her 50s who has several teenagers. Her husband Gregorio (Martín Adjemián
Martín Adjemián
Martín Adjemián , was a film and television actor. He worked in the cinema of Argentina.He died on January 3, 2006 of cancer.In 1988 he appeared in Asesinato a distancia....
) wants to remain looking young, and both of them have to deal with their gloomy Amerindian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
servants, whom Mecha accuses of theft and laziness. Both Mecha and Gregorio take to drinking
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
to cope with day-to-day living.
In order to avoid the hot and humid weather of the city, the family spends their summers in their rural shabby country home that they have named "La Mandragora".
Mecha's cousin, Tali (Mercedes Morán
Mercedes Morán
Mercedes Morán is a film and television actress.She works in the cinema of Argentina.-Filmography:* La Ciénaga aka The Swamp* Próxima salida * Whisky Romeo Zulu...
), lives in the nearby city of La Ciénaga (The Swamp, in English) and has a brood of small, noisy children and a husband, Rafael (Daniel Valenzuela
Daniel Valenzuela
Daniel Valenzuela , is a prolific film and television actor. He has also done some screenplay writing. He works in the cinema of Argentina....
), who loves his family and also hunts.
Before long, the crowded domestic situation in both homes strains the families' nerves, exposing repressed family mysteries, and tensions that threaten to erupt into violence.
Cast
- Graciela BorgesGraciela BorgesGraciela Borges is an Argentine television and film actress.She has been working in the Argentine cinema and television since her first role in the film Zafra ....
as Mecha - Mercedes MoránMercedes MoránMercedes Morán is a film and television actress.She works in the cinema of Argentina.-Filmography:* La Ciénaga aka The Swamp* Próxima salida * Whisky Romeo Zulu...
as Tali - Martín AdjemiánMartín AdjemiánMartín Adjemián , was a film and television actor. He worked in the cinema of Argentina.He died on January 3, 2006 of cancer.In 1988 he appeared in Asesinato a distancia....
as Gregorio - Daniel ValenzuelaDaniel ValenzuelaDaniel Valenzuela , is a prolific film and television actor. He has also done some screenplay writing. He works in the cinema of Argentina....
as Rafael - Leonora Balcarce as Verónica
- Silvia Baylé as Mercedes
- Sofia Bertolotto as Momi
- Juan Cruz Bordeu as José
- Noelia Bravo Herrera as Agustina
- Maria Micol Ellero as Mariana
- Andrea López as Isabel
- Sebastián Montagna as Luciano
- Franco Veneranda as Martín
- Fabio Villafane as Perro
- Diego Baenas as Joaquín
Background
Director Lucrecia MartelLucrecia Martel
Lucrecia Martel is a film director, screenplay writer, and producer.According to film critic Joel Poblete, who writes for Mabuse, a cinema magazine, Lucrecia Martel is one of the members of the so-called "New Argentina Cinema" which began c...
has said in media interviews that the story is based on "memories of her own family." She has also said, "I know what kind of film I've made. Not a very easy one! For me, it's not a realistic film. It's something strange, a little weird. It's the kind of film where you can't tell what's going to happen, and I wanted the audience to be very uncomfortable from the beginning."
Filming location
The film was shot entirely in Martel's home town, Salta
Salta
Salta is a city in northwestern Argentina and the capital city of the Salta Province. Along with its metropolitan area, it has a population of 464,678 inhabitants as of the , making it Argentina's eighth largest city.-Overview:...
, in Salta Province
Salta Province
Salta is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the east clockwise Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán and Catamarca. It also surrounds Jujuy...
, Argentina.
Distribution
The film was first featured at the Berlin International Film FestivalBerlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
on February 8, 2001. It opened in Argentina on March 8, 2001 at the Mar del Plata Film Festival
Mar del Plata Film Festival
The Mar del Plata International Film Festival is an international film festival that takes place every November in the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina...
, and enjoyed wide release in Argentina on April 12, 2001.
The drama was also shown at various film festivals, including: the Karlovy Vary Film Festival; the Toronto Film Festival; the New York Film Festival
New York Film Festival
The New York Film Festival has been a major film festival since it began in 1963 in New York. The films are selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center...
; the Warsaw Film Festival; International Film Festival, Rotterdam; the Titanic International Filmpresence Festival, Hungary; the Adelaide International Film Festival; the Uruguay International Film Festival; and the Havana Film Festival
Havana Film Festival
The Havana Film Festival is a Cuban festival that focuses on the promotion of Spanish-language filmmakers. It is also known in Spanish as Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana, and in English as Festival of New Latinamerican Cinema of La Havana.The festival takes place...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, it was presented at the New York Film Festival
New York Film Festival
The New York Film Festival has been a major film festival since it began in 1963 in New York. The films are selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center...
on October 2, 2001. It also opened in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on October 12, 2001.
Critical reception
Writing for The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, critic Stephen Holden liked Lucrecia Martel's debut film, and called it "remarkable," writing, "The steamy ambiance in which the characters fester is a metaphor for creeping social decay...La ciénaga perspires from the screen, it creates a vision of social malaise that feels paradoxically familiar and new."
Critic David Lipfert also liked the director's various sociological
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
messages and metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
s contained in the film. He believes the "New Argentina Cinema" is moving beyond the themes related to the military dictatorship period of the late 1970s and early 1980s. He wrote, "[Martel's] intense, in-your-face portrait of a dissolute middle class lacks the usual justifying criminal context. Martel simply holds up a mirror to Argentine society, and the result is devastating. Instead of creating an allegory with archetypes, she shows characters that are all too real. When still, her camera is low and close as though we were right on top of the actors."
When the film opened in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the film critic for The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
Amy Taubin wrote, "Lucrecia Martel's La Ciénaga is a veritable Chekhov
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
tragicomedy of provincial life. Making a brilliant debut, Martel constructs her narrative from quotidian incidents, myriad comings and goings, and a cacophony of voices competing for attention...[i]n a debut feature that's assured in every aspect, Martel's direction of the younger members of her cast is particularly notable."
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 86% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on thirty-six reviews.
Awards
Wins- Berlin International Film FestivalBerlin International Film FestivalThe Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
: Alfred Bauer Award, Lucrecia Martel; 2001. - Havana Film FestivalHavana Film FestivalThe Havana Film Festival is a Cuban festival that focuses on the promotion of Spanish-language filmmakers. It is also known in Spanish as Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana, and in English as Festival of New Latinamerican Cinema of La Havana.The festival takes place...
: Best Actress, Graciela Borges; Best Director, Lucrecia Martel; Best Sound, Hervé Guyader, Emmanuel Croset, Guido Berenblum, Adrián De Michele; Grand Coral - First Prize, Lucrecia Martel; 2001. - Toulouse Latin America Film Festival: French Critics' Discovery Award, Lucrecia Martel; Grand Prix, Lucrecia Martel; 2001.
- Uruguay International Film Festival: First Work Award - Special Mention, Lucrecia Martel; 2001.
- Uruguayan Film Critics Association: UFCA Award Best Latin American Film; 2001.
- Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor; Best Actress, Graciela Borges; Best Cinematography, Hugo Colace; Best First Film, Lucrecia Martel; 2002.
Nominations
- Berlin International Film Festival: Golden Berlin Bear, Lucrecia Martel; 2001.
- Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor; Best Art Direction, Graciela Oderigo; Best Director, Lucrecia Martel; Best Film; Best Original Screenplay, Lucrecia Martel; Best Supporting Actress, Mercedes Morán; 2002.
- MTV Movie Awards, Latin America: MTV Movie Award, MTV South Feed (mostly Argentina) - Favorite Film, Lucrecia Martel; 2002.
External links
- La ciénaga at cinenacional.comCinenacional.comCinenacional.com is a web portal and web-based database about Argentine cinema.The site provides a vast array of information, including: films, television programs, directors, actors, cinematographers, film editors, production designers, and other production professions in Argentina...
- La ciénaga review at Cineismo by Guillermo Ravaschino