"Retorno a Buenos Aires," a coproduction between Italy and Brazil directed by Marco Bechis, has won two prizes from Italy's specialist film critics at the Venice Film Festival: Best Film and Best Actor for Adriano Giannini.
The awards were handed out by the union of Italian film journalists. The jury said the film was excellent proof of a perfect balance between past and present, emotion and reflection, and praised Giannini's performance for conveying the torment of doubt, the drama of confrontation, and the horror and pain of a tragedy that is both collective and personal.
The film had its world premiere on Friday, September 11. Producers Patrick de Jongh, Cibele Amaral and Andre Ristum, along with actors Paula Cohen and Eduardo Hoy, walked the red carpet to represent Brazil. Chilean-Italian director Marco Bechis and star Adriano Giannini also attended.
What the film is about
The story follows Mariano Guerra, an Italian doctor played by Giannini, who is called back to an Argentine court after 33 years to testify in the trial of former military officers who kidnapped and tortured him during Argentina's military dictatorship. Paula Cohen plays Judge Desideria Losada, while Eduardo Hoy plays a younger version of Mariano.
The plot draws directly on Bechis's own history. The director was himself a political prisoner during Argentina's dictatorship, a period of military rule that lasted from 1976 to 1983 and was marked by the forced disappearance of thousands of people. That personal history gives the film a testimonial quality.
Filmed across two continents
Produced by the Brazilian company 34 Filmes, the film was shot over four weeks in Porto Alegre, in southern Brazil, and a further three weeks in Turin, in northern Italy.
The Venice Film Festival, held annually on the Lido, is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious film festivals and a major launchpad for titles heading into awards season.
There is no word yet on when "Retorno a Buenos Aires" will be released in Brazil.
