The Cinematic Tango: Contemporary Argentine Film

by Tamara Falicov

Overview

The Cinematic Tango explores the cultural politics of over sixty years of filmmaking in Argentina. From the 1940s when film was a successful studio product to the 1980s post-dictatorship period when national cinema was utilized as a public relations tool, Tamara L. Falicov explores how national culture on film has been shaped, articulated, and debated. She provides in-depth analysis of Argentina's contemporary period, when financial incentives led to the production of commercial "blockbusters" as well as new opportunities for first-time directors, sparking a surge of low-budget, independent filmmaking.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781904764939
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	12/05/2006
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Tamara L. Falicov is associate professor in the department of theatre and film and Latin American studies at the University of Kansas.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements     vii
Introduction     1
From the Studio System Era to the Dirty War     11
The 1980s: Cinema, Democracy and Film Policy with Views Towards Europe     47
Menem's Neoliberal Politics and the Birth of the Blockbuster     75
Young Filmmakers and the New Independent Argentine Cinema     115
Conclusion     151
Notes     157
Bibliography     165
Index     185

Editorial Reviews

Falicov has a fascinating story to tell, and one that's not just for world-movie buffs. This is a chronicle of a conflict between art and commerce from which the UK film council could surely learn.

Sight & Sound - Paul Julian Smith

This is by far the best guide to Argentine cinema available in English. It is a must read... Essential.

Choice

The Cinematic Tango will instantly become the standard work in English on which future scholarship builds.

— Dennis West

Cineaste

Falicov has a fascinating story to tell, and one that's not just for world-movie buffs. This is a chronicle of a conflict between art and commerce from which the UK film council could surely learn.

— Paul Julian Smith

Sight & Sound

Falicov's work is remarkably thorough and wide-ranging, rich in valuable information from primary and secondary Spanish-language sources.

Film Criticism

The Cinematic Tango will instantly become the standard work in English on which future scholarship builds.

Cineaste - Dennis West