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"Viva Argentina" kicks off Wednesday with The Last Elvis |
“Viva Argentina” begins October 2nd with the Ottawa premiere of Armanda Bo’s The Last Elvis, which won six awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Argentina and was a nominee for the Grand Jury Prize for world cinema at Sundance. The Last Elvis marks the directorial debut of Bo, who co-wrote the screenplay for 2010’s Biutiful, starring Javier Bardem. The programme also includes Gone Fishing, the latest film from acclaimed Argentine director Carlos Sorín, who will attend the event with producer Patricia Bustamante. Also in attendance at “Viva Argentina” will be Juan Vera, the producer and screenwriter of the hit comedy Two Plus Two.
The trio of selected films will coincide with the Research
Workshop “Trends in Argentine Cinema: Twenty Years After the "New Cinema.”
The workshops, organized by the University of Ottawa’s Spanish Program, features
the participation of six research professors from the University of Ottawa,
McGill University, Université de Montréal, University of South Carolina, and
Saint Francis-Xavier University. The workshops allow attendees to put Argentine
films—both from this programme and from previous festivals—into greater
perspective as they learn about the movements that shaped the nation’s film production
as it stands today.
The programme for “Viva Argentina” is as follows:
Films:
The Last Elvis (El último
Elvis)
Dir. Armanda Bo
(2012, 91 min.)
Wednesday, October 2, 7:00 pm
Synopsis: A tragic accident causes an Elvis impersonator to
reassess his priorities.
Note: All
filmmakers visiting the “Viva Argentina” series will attend a reception
following Wednesday’s Gala screening of The
Last Elvis.
Gone Fishing (Días de pesca)
Dir. Carlos Sorín
(2012, 78 min.)
Thursday, October 3, 7:00 pm.
Synopsis: Marco Tucci (Alejandro Awada) is the standard
tourist type, on his way to Puerto Deseado where he intends to fish for sharks.
Or at least, this is the way he looks.
Two Plus Two (Dos más dos)
Dir. Diego Kaplan
(2012, 103 min.)
Friday, October 4, 7:00 pm
Synopsis: When the fun of double dating begins to grow old,
Richard and Bettina share a dirty little secret with their friends Diego and
Emilia: They live a double life as swingers, and would love to share this
practice with them.
All screenings will take
place at the Auditorium of Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington St. All
films will be presented in Spanish with English subtitles. Tickets for each
film are available at the door: $12.00 for general admission, and $8.00 for CFI
Members, seniors, and students.
Workshops
As the CFI notes, “The Research Workshop is two full-day
presentations in Spanish, but discussions and questions can be addressed in
both English and French. Sessions will take place at University of Ottawa
campus: on October 3rd at the Senate Room (Tabaret Hall 083); and on October
4th at Simard Building (Room SMD 125). Free admission. More information can be
found online at www.modernlanguages.uottawa.ca/activities.”