There are foundational phrases in Argentine cinema. You can not miss Héctor Alterio exalting being alive in “wild horses”, that of China Zorrilla with the neighbor copy of Ravioles and a pot in “waiting for the float” or the unobjectable analysis of Ricardo Darín on the foul in “nine queens.” The culture of independent cinema we have ours, is “The dream of my life! 5000 euros!” It was said by one of the characters of “Upa! (An Argentine film)” back in 2007 and things have not changed for the better. The saga that knew “Upa! A spring in Athens”. Its authors, directors and performers are Tamae Garateguy, Santiago Giralt and Camila Toker, together they make up that indie three -headed monster made of buzzing dialogues, misguided shootings and failed co -productions. Anyway, the history of our cinema made with love, humor, premiere dates subject to confirmation and bounced checks. More Argento is not achieved. And if it is about, Tamae Garateguy He is the queen of the circus.
National gender cinema emblem, knew how to build a solid and diverse career when we didn’t even fantasize about women fully getting into terror, police, action, fantastic or erotic cinema. As proof are his films “Pompeya”, “Until you disregard me”, “10 pigeons”, “help”, “the furies” and the one that is coming, “dog man.”
Santa Patrona Indie, pink hair, iron fist, attentive look, accurate wink. Tamae Garateguy, a lot of cinema like never. Action!
News: At this time of Argentine cinema where INCAA proudly boasts its zero financed films, can humor be a weapon to reflect the state of things?
Tamae Garateguy: Laughter is a very powerful weapon, so with Santiago Giralt and Camila Toker we have this trieja that already gave us four daughters called “UPA”. Humor for us is a tool capable of pointing out, focusing on issues, giving bridges and especially generating questions. It is the territory to stop and identify to see situations that are hard from a friendlier place, but not for that less questioning. In the case of this film we do not escape the moment our cinema, the artistic community and women, not only the directors, the producers or the actresses, but also the writers, the journalists, the singers. Humor helps us face this experience where we are receiving so much violence and aggression.
News: In the saga of “Upa!” You are the first object to satirize from the exploration of certain clichés of independent cinema, which is being the most attacked in these times. How do they live it?
Garateguy: Thus, we begin to laugh at us. But we are part of several groups attacked by our condition: women, queer, artists, members of the film community that is a permanent target. We decided to make this fourth installment of “UPA” as a protest film, it is our way of responding that we continue to exist, because sometimes we feel that our simple existence annoying. That is why we just went to tell what is happening, how we live it and also to ironize about our condition of beings that inhabit these groups so denosted … and then laugh at Tooodo the rest!
News: Sorry, let’s go back to the theme of the trieja because “Upa” is lasting more than most couples. What is the secret to last the link for so many years? I will not ask if they are girlfriend how they do in the portals …
Garateguy: (Laughs) Look, I think that at this point “Upa” is a world, an experience and I would add that it is also a state of being. It is a way of looking and looking at us very much to us and the reality of the world. Sometimes we are scathing, others affectionate, never cynical. We are always being and doing “UPA”, because what we are experiencing is probably what we film in 4 or 5 years.
News: You have been one of the first Argentine directors who has made a career in gender cinema, something that was considered little commercial and less prestigious. Today the genre fills rooms and wins awards, did something change for women dedicated to terror and action?
Garateguy: Look, I started in the pre “Me Too” era and I notice a difference. After that the feminisms mobilized, the chiquilinas had a lot to do with the real change in society. One thing is the ideological and political movements, but I think that what really penetrated our society was the girls who put the issue on the family table. That happened transversely at all socioeconomic levels and in people of different origins, coinciding in the fact that there are things that can no longer happen. The same thing happened in the cinema, the difference with other times is very noticeable. I remember that when I made “Pompeya” and presented it in 2011 at the Toronto Festival, at the party of the directors we were 50 men and 3 women. That is something strong to the visual and was changing, although it is not the panacea. The crystal ceiling is still there, we must continue to defend our participation because everything is very recent. How much does this pass from a jury with parity at the Cannes and Women Festival like Greta Gerwig or Juliette Binoche presiding over? It is a short time, the festival was requested only in 2020. There are several issues, including the salaries difference of men and women within the industry that persist.
News: A while ago I interviewed Julia Ducournau, the first woman to win the golden palm solo with her movie “Titane.” He told me that while he was filming the movie, I knew they were going to destroy it because filming violence is a veiled territory for the directors. Is that so?
Garateguy: First, absolute admiration for her and by Coralie Fargeat, director of “the substance.” Ducournau is right, the woman is like the redoubt of security and attachment, it is the figure of the mother, love, which will be in spite of everything. So what happens if you run from that place and start using the same elements as men? Symbolically there is no safe place to go, that is the reason why it causes so much shock when a director tells those stories. Intranquiliza a lot, we are not yet allowed. What these directors are doing is so important, so revolutionary and rebellious because women receive violence and it seems that our social function is to return something else, which is a capacity of all human beings, not only of women, but that is always expected to always expect. In the industry there are some genres that are privative to this day, in the action cinema, for example, women almost do not exist as authors, they will be 1 or 2 percent, so I go there, I like to get into the most difficult places.
News: The only undisputed reference director within the action cinema remains Kathryn Bigelow. Tell me, Garateguy, what is your “limit point”?
Garateguy: Oh, Ayyy! (laughs) Now I have a project that I like a lot and hopefully it is how I’m cranking. My next movie is called “Diablo Dog” and develops in the world of wrestling women. It is about cholitas fighters and a character half Argentine and half Japanese who is a martial artist, who come together in search of revenge. And this makes me resume about the rebellion we talked about before. Why at risk of being wrong, can’t I represent violence? But those stories are exclusively on the side of men, I do not mean men as people, but to the mandates that have to do with masculinity and their narrative. When a woman represents these issues so entrenched traditionally with the male look other things happen.
News: Do you change questions and answers?
Garateguy: Yes, because you are standing elsewhere. When I did “Pompeya” they asked me where my children were while filming and if they knew what I do, do you understand me? Do you imagine someone asking that a man? It would not have to be so, because that place of love and protection can also give it a man, they are roles that can be moved. For all that the directors that we make gender cinema we are the most rebellious! (series)
News: Among the categories that the cinema is handled is that of the checkbook or prestige, can you escape the snobbery?
Garateguy: I think so and the way to do it is through humor. Kitsch laughs at himself, but one of the characteristics of snobbery is to take certain aesthetics very seriously, look how they get angry with films like “The Square” that ironic with belonging and social ascent, I love the acidic vision of its director Ruben Östlund, it makes me very laugh! Cross borders staging the cynicism that can access the privileged class of art. Recognize the grimace and laugh at that with the other generates a complicity that breaks with the pose.
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