Alberto Gieco Brings Argentina in His Soul and His Cinema to Cuban Gathering

Argentine films, generally extraordinary, often draw inspiration from real stories that focus on social issues. In keeping with this tradition, El infierno de los vivos stands out today at a major cinematic event in Cuba.

The 2024 feature film, the directorial debut of filmmaker Alberto Gieco, is competing for the Coral Prize in its category at the 46th International Festival of New Latin American Cinema in Havana.

In an exclusive dialogue with Prensa Latina, its director revealed that the cinematic work is about "a young woman who suffers sexual abuse; from there, she embarks on a journey in search of her biological father."

In his opinion, the film exposes "the lack of support from institutions, from the world of adults." His motivation for undertaking this project stems from the fact that "at this moment in Argentina and Latin America, that situation is very strong and serious, as it happens constantly in society."

He added that problems of intrafamilial abuse are hidden by the family and society; "that is why it is a necessary film, one that brings the problem to our present day." The feature film presents a young female character who becomes empowered throughout the journey and—despite the complex circumstances—seeks a path toward the future, he explained.

With pride, the filmmaker told this news agency: It was made in Santa Fe, Argentina, the city of Fernando Birri, who was our great teacher.

When asked about the tendency in Argentina to transfer the country's reality to the screen, he expressed: Almost the majority of current Argentine cinema presents different situations or the lingering effects of the dictatorship; and yes, I was very interested in this real case.

• What is your opinion of this celebration of the seventh art in the region?

  • It is wonderful to interact with all these people, filmmakers and actors from different Latin American countries, because we are all on the same quest: making cinema in difficult situations, addressing important problems for society, and moving the audience.

• What do you hope the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema in Havana gives back to you?

  • Being here is a privilege, and one of the dreams I always had was to come to Cuba and to the festival. I don't know who will win the Coral, but participating is already an honor and a great excitement.

In a few hours, the winners of the Coral Prize in the event's different categories will be announced; perhaps one of them will be El infierno de los vivos.

Until then, the certainty remains that Argentine films, generally extraordinary, often return home with their hands full.