Schirmer Encyclopedia of Film
At the turn of the century, filmmakers were eager to
discover unique ways to compete within Latin America
and internationally invested in the sort of technical qualities that Getino and Birri renounced, while at the same
time remaining resolutely committed to social critique.
This is evident in artistic and commercial successes such
as Nueve reinas (Nine Queens, Fabie´n Bielinsky, 2000)
and El hijo de la novia (Son of the Bride, Juan Jose´
Campanella, 2001). Both films are marked by a mordant
sense of humor that contributes to their success. Bielinsky
also exemplifies the long participation of Jews in
Argentine filmmaking.
An alternative strain was the extensive presence in
Argentina of Dogma filmmaking, with such notable
examples as Plata quemada (Burnt Money, Marcelo
Pineyro, 2000); La Cie ´nega (The Swamp, Lucrecia
Martel, 2001), Bolivia (Adria´n Caetano, 2001), El
Bonaerense (The Man from Buenos Aires Province, Pablo
Trapero, 2002), and Tan de repente (Suddenly, Diego
Lerman, 2002). Lerman’s film is particularly interesting
as one of the first explicitly lesbian films in Argentina and
the fact that it was made by a man. Pineyro’s film, while
not intending to be a ‘‘gay’’ film, nevertheless does an
excellent job of portraying a queer subtext in what is
otherwise a fairly standard bank heist film. Adhering
partially to Dogma principles, or using a quasidocumentary black-and-white format, Bolivia centers on the plight
of Bolivians (and by extension, other Latin Americans)
who work illegally in Argentina and are subject to violent
harassment and racism.