Argentine independent cinema is preparing for a coup. On November 13, “Putas”, the new and visceral work by Demian Alexander, with original music by the renowned Diego Frenkel, arrives in theaters. More than a cinematographic production, this production that emerges from a psychological performance, is postulated as a drink of reality by presenting six stories that address sexual work without filters or romanticisms. It is a chair of crudeness that dares to look at the abject and even the eschatological to find beauty in the human wound.
Declared of Cultural Interest for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights by the CABA, “Putas” is based on the psychological performance and multimedia work of the same name.
The work is made up of six intertwined stories, each with a unique character and a particular aesthetic, which delve into the “B side” of the lives of sex workers. Obsession, abuse, violence and, yes, also love, coexist in scenes of overwhelming intensity. Through poetic and pragmatic prose that dances the choreography of cruelty, Demian Alexander manages to penetrate the universe of the “oldest craft in the world”, revealing its multiple human dimensions without falling into simplistic romanticism.
The film has a strong cast that includes Esmeralda Miter, María Rosa Fugazot, Carlos Belloso, Roly Serrano, Fabián Vena, Vanesa González, Mariana A., Gerardo Chendo, Celeste Muriega, Florencia Gerez and Carolina Mazzitelli.
In dialogue with NOTICIAS, director Demian Alexander confessed that putting together the cast was “miraculous” and that it required very personal work: “I need to get together personally and visualize in the actors and actresses the imprint of the role: The important thing is the person when it comes to working on a 100% independent project that is extremely stripped of morality.”
Alexander highlights that the characters are “very played” and, therefore, required great acting dedication. His management method relied on frontality and horizontality, instead of traditional hierarchy. “I was very straight,” he says. “I think I fulfilled everyone, and I understand that this treatment is effective.” This generous and collaborative approach, in which the script was partly adapted to the performers’ talks and proposals, was key. The director emphasizes: “Today the actor is more important to me than the director”, echoing the work philosophy that prioritizes the contribution of each art professional.
The production was done completely “at will”, without institutional support, which underlines the independent and combative nature of the work: “Cinema can also be made with work,” says Alexander.
Although the film immerses itself in “very politicized” realities, Alexander avoids going down the line, seeking to show the raw truth without “romanticism” intended in the colloquial sense. “The movie fell off the elevator,” he says, referring to the commonplaces of today’s narrative. His objective is to expose the realities so that the public, who in his opinion “is not stupid”, can judge for themselves.
The resounding thing starts from the title: “Whores”. Demian Alexander “banked” the name despite debates and warnings about losing sponsors. For him, that was the only way to show a film that is, in fact, raw.
The film is already generating debate and has been selected for important competitions in Bogotá and Mexico.
“Putas” does not shy away from confrontation, and there are scenes that remain etched in memory. We consulted the director about the hardest of them and he pointed out the sequence in which the pregnant woman (Esmeralda Mitre) hits her belly. Alexander decides to fade to black to leave the viewer alone with the woman’s voice, enhancing the psychic pain.
With this premiere, Demian Alexander and his team confirm that art can be born from the denaturalization of realities that do not conform to what should be; that are not woven into the sands of morality, but are, that exist despite the blindness imposed by prejudice and judgment.
“Putas” proves that art also emerges from dedication and collaboration. Its director and cast dare to go to the core, they position themselves and embody what no one wants to embody: the intense pain of walking through life without euphemisms.
By Norma Cabada
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