Kamchatka (film)
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''Kamchatka'' is a 2002 Spanish-language
historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
directed by
Marcelo Piñeyro Marcelo Piñeyro (born March 5, 1953) is an Argentine award-winning film director, screenwriter, and film producer. Biography Born in Buenos Aires, Piñeyro studied cinematography at the University of La Plata's School of Fine Arts. In 1980, ...
and written by Piñeyro and Marcelo Figueras. It stars Ricardo Darín,
Cecilia Roth Cecilia Edith Rotenberg Gutkin (born 8 August 1956), known professionally as Cecilia Roth () is an Argentine actress. She is the winner of two Goya Awards and a European Film Award. She is known for being an " Almodóvar girl" and the "muse" ...
, Tomás Fonzi,
Héctor Alterio Héctor Benjamín Alterio Onorato (born 21 September 1929) is an Argentine theatre, film and television actor, well known both in Argentina and Spain. Biography Héctor Benjamín Alterio Onorato was born in Chacarita, Buenos Aires, Chacarita, ...
and Leticia Bredice. The story is set in Argentina in the mid 1970s, during the country's last civil-military dictatorship, and chronicles the life of a family hiding from the military government in rural Argentina. ''Kamchatka'' was Argentina's official submission for the 2002 Oscar Awards in the foreign language film category.


Plot

The film is seen through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy, Harry (Matías del Pozo), who does not know that Argentina's 1976
coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
is impacting his life. After witnessing the "disappearance" of dissident friends, a human rights lawyer ( Ricardo Darín) and his research scientist wife (
Cecilia Roth Cecilia Edith Rotenberg Gutkin (born 8 August 1956), known professionally as Cecilia Roth () is an Argentine actress. She is the winner of two Goya Awards and a European Film Award. She is known for being an " Almodóvar girl" and the "muse" ...
) flee the city and hide from the military police in a vacant summer house. With them are their two kids: Harry, who is fascinated with the escape artistry of
Harry Houdini Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known professionally as Harry Houdini ( ), was a Hungarian-American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts. Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in ...
, and ''El Enano'', his little brother. (Translated as "Little Guy" in the English subtitles, played by Milton de la Canal. The literal translation would be "dwarf".) The family adopts new identities and attempts to lead a normal life. Later, they are joined by a student who is using the alias ''Lucas'' ( Tomás Fonzi). Their new life is difficult, but a visit with their estranged grandparents (Fernanda Mistral and
Héctor Alterio Héctor Benjamín Alterio Onorato (born 21 September 1929) is an Argentine theatre, film and television actor, well known both in Argentina and Spain. Biography Héctor Benjamín Alterio Onorato was born in Chacarita, Buenos Aires, Chacarita, ...
) reveals that they are still a close-knit family. Subtly hinted, however, and used as a metaphor, is the mother's constant smoking and ''El Enano's'' renewed bed-wetting. Both serve to show how stressful and precarious their situation is.


Cast


Background


Basis of film

The film is based on the real-life political events that took place in Argentina after
Jorge Rafael Videla Jorge Rafael Videla ( ; ; 2 August 1925 – 17 May 2013) was an Argentine military officer and the ''de facto'' President of Argentina from 1976 to 1981, during the National Reorganization Process. His rule, which was during the time of Operati ...
's reactionary military ''junta'' assumed power on March 24, 1976. During the junta's rule: the parliament was suspended, unions, political parties and provincial governments were banned, and in what became known as the
Dirty War The Dirty War () is the name used by the military junta or National Reorganization Process, civic-military dictatorship of Argentina () for its period of state terrorism in Argentina from 1974 to 1983. During this campaign, military and secu ...
, between 9,000 and 30,000 people deemed left-wing "subversives" disappeared from society.


Screenplay

According to the
Internet Movie Database IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
, the screenplay was written by Marcelo Figueras, based on an original story written by Figueras and Marcelo Piñeyro. When the time for the nominations came, the
Argentine Film Critics Association The Argentine Film Critics Association () is an organization of Argentine-based journalism, journalists and correspondents. The association presents the ''Silver Condor Awards'' (''Premios Cóndor de Plata'') honoring achievements in Argentina, Ar ...
credited the authorship of the final script to both of them.


Title of film

The title refers to the Russian northeastern state, which, in the movie, is used by the family's father in the boardgame TEG as the ultimate stand-off, and who uses it as his last resort to win. The title thus alludes to the family situation of hiding away from imminent peril as a final act of defiance before their ultimate downfall. Most scenes were shot at remote or isolated rural locations, such as a farmhouse in Ezeiza, the surroundings of
Tandil Tandil is the main city of the homonymous partido (department), located in Argentina, in the southeast of Buenos Aires Province, just north-northwest of Tandilia hills. The city was founded in 1823, and its name originates from the '' Piedra M ...
and Laguna La Brava.


Politics in Argentine films

''Kamchatka'' is part of what can be considered a second generation group of films to be made in Argentina since the downfall of the '' Proceso'' dictatorship (1976–1983). Another film in the second group is '' Veronico Cruz'' (1988). The first group, including such films as ''
The Official Story ''The Official Story'' () is a 1985 Argentine historical political drama film directed by Luis Puenzo and written by Puenzo and Aída Bortnik. It stars Norma Aleandro, Héctor Alterio, Chunchuna Villafañe and Hugo Arana. In the United Kingd ...
'' (1985), '' Night of the Pencils'' (1986), and '' Funny Dirty Little War'' (1983) dealt with the bare facts of repression, torture, and
forced disappearance An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person with the support or acquiescence of a State (polity), state followed by a refusal to acknowledge the person's fate or whereabouts with the i ...
s during the
Dirty War The Dirty War () is the name used by the military junta or National Reorganization Process, civic-military dictatorship of Argentina () for its period of state terrorism in Argentina from 1974 to 1983. During this campaign, military and secu ...
. This second group of films uses metaphor and suggestive images, and hints at wider socio-political issues.


Critical reception

In a review, critic Anji Milanovic called the film an "heartrending drama" and liked the look of the film. He wrote, "The cinematography is gorgeous, and the Argentine countryside looks like a fairytale, all the more distressing given the killing and torture that occurred. The terror they feel is shown in little vignettes of family life." Ángel Fernández-Santos, film critic for Spanish daily ''
El País (; ) is a Spanish-language daily newspaper in Spain. is based in the capital city of Madrid and it is owned by the Spanish media conglomerate PRISA. It is the second-most circulated daily newspaper in Spain . is the most read newspaper in ...
,'' wrote that "''Kamchatka'' has many features to be considered a masterpiece, it is cinema at its fullest, endowed with a very strong emotional pull. It is a tender, grievous and touching elegy. Underneath the intense silent walls of captivity, it hides the thud and rage of the immeasurable collective tragedy". Mercedes Santos Moray, reporting from the
Havana Film Festival The Havana Film Festival is a Cuban festival that focuses on the promotion of Latin American filmmakers. It is also known in Spanish as ''Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana,'' and in English as International Festiv ...
, liked that director Piñeyro delivered in giving the audience a suggestive image of the tragic, historical events, and wrote, "The painful memory is represented in an intimate way. Piñeyro works both with the feelings and the reason. His film is a metaphor about the dimensions of freedom. The people still suffer but the danger has disappeared. There are only the phantoms of the past... A family in the film escape the repressions for a moment, but at last their lives are affected by the violent events."Santos Moray, Mercedes. Ibid.


Awards

Wins * Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor; Best Sound, Carlos Abbate and José Luis Díaz; 2003. * Cartagena Film Festival: Golden India Catalina; Best Screenplay, Marcelo Figueras and Marcelo Piñeyro; 2003. *
Havana Film Festival The Havana Film Festival is a Cuban festival that focuses on the promotion of Latin American filmmakers. It is also known in Spanish as ''Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana,'' and in English as International Festiv ...
: Best Screenplay, Marcelo Piñeyro; Grand Coral - Third Prize, Marcelo Piñeyro; 2003. *
Vancouver International Film Festival The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for two weeks in late September and early October. The festival is operated by the Greater Vancouver International Film Festi ...
: Most Popular Film Marcelo Piñeyro; 2003. *
Young Artist Awards The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...
: Young Artist Award; Best Young Ensemble in an International Film, Tomás Fonzi, Matías Del Pozo and Milton De La Canal; 2003. Nominations * Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor; Best Actor, Ricardo Darín; Best Art Direction, Jorge Ferrari; Best Cinematography, Alfredo F. Mayo; Best Original Screenplay, Marcelo Figueras and Marcelo Piñeyro; 2003. * Cartagena Film Festival: Golden India Catalina; Best Film, Marcelo Piñeyro; 2003. * Flanders International Film Festival: ''Grand Prix'', Marcelo Piñeyro; 2003.


See also

* List of Argentine films of 2002 * List of Spanish films of 2002


References


External links

*
''Kamchatka''
at
cinenacional.com Cinenacional.com is a web portal and web-based database about Argentine cinema. It is the most comprehensive site for information about the Argentine film industry, with a vast array of information on films, television programs, directors, actor ...
. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kamchatka (Film) 2002 films 2002 drama films Dirty War films Films about Latin American military dictatorships Films set in Argentina Films set in 1976 Argentine independent films Argentine political drama films 2000s Spanish-language films 2000s Argentine films 2000s Spanish films Spanish independent films Films about coups d'état 2002 independent films Buena Vista International films 20th Century Fox films Films shot in Mar del Plata Spanish political drama films Spanish-language independent films Spanish-language drama films