Imagining Argentina (2003)

A W Bergh, Stockholm: Heard about the green Ford Falcons of Buenos Aires? Death mobiles they was called and were doing the same dirty job for president Videla and a string of junta generals... See full synopsis »

Director:

Christopher Hampton

Writers:

Lawrence Thornton (novel), Christopher Hampton

Stars:

Irene Escolar, Antonio Banderas, Emma Thompson

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Irene Escolar	...	Eurydice
Fernando Tielve	...	Orfeo / Enrico
Hector Bordoni	...	Pedro Augustín (as Héctor Bordoni)
Antonio Banderas	...	Carlos Rueda
Emma Thompson	...	Cecilia Rueda
Maria Canals-Barrera	...	Esme Palomares (as Marí'a Canals)
Rubén Blades	...	Silvio Ayala
Leticia Dolera	...	Teresa Rueda
Anthony Diaz-Perez	...	Policeman 1 (as Anthony Díaz Pérez)
Luis Antonio Ramos	...	Policeman 2
Carlos Kaniowsky	...	Rubén Mendoza (as Carlos Kaniowski)
Stella Maris	...	Concepta Madrid
Concha Hidalgo	...	Octavio Marquez's Grandmother
Ana Gracia	...	Hannah Masson
Horacio Obón	...	Victor Madrid

Storyline

A W Bergh, Stockholm: Heard about the green Ford Falcons of Buenos Aires? Death mobiles they was called and were doing the same dirty job for president Videla and a string of junta generals... See full synopsis »

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Plot Keywords:

violence | catholic | auschwitz | beach | police | 

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Taglines:

An extraordinary story of love, compassion and danger.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence/torture and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Manga Films [es] UIP [uk]

Country:

Spain UK USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

16 April 2004 (Spain)

Also Known As:

Aconteceu na Argentina

Filming Locations:

Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina

Company Credits

Production Co:

Multivideo, Arenas Entertainment, Myriad Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When it became clear that two additional scenes would help the script, a) the quarrel about whether Cecilia should publish her article and b) the flashback scene why the Cecilia and Carlos got married, there was a little competition going on between 'Christopher Hampton' and 'Emma Thompson', who both wrote their versions of those scenes. Emma Thompson's version of the flashback scene finally was agreed on.

User Reviews

Psychic powers and Videla's dictatorship...

Antonio Banderas plays a theatre director whose wife (Emma Thompson) has been kidnapped by the Secret Service of Argentinian's Videla's dictatorship (1976-1983). Soon he discovers he has sort of a psychic power that allows him to predict the future, and to find out what has happened to her wife and to some of the other missing people (there were +/- 30000 missing people during Videla's dictatorship). Now I wonder: Is it necessary to introduce that paranormal stuff in a movie about Argentinian dictatorship? I mean, you got one of the most cruel and repressive dictatorships ever, and that's enough to make a shocking movie. The psychic powers, the vissions of Banderas' character detract the attention from the main line: the denunciation of that regimen led by General Videla and supported by USA Government, and the atrocities that were committed, the sistematic violation of human rights, and so... Especially when you have two well known stars in the cast, and the movie may have some international impact (which didn't have any of the argentinian movies that talked about the same issue).

Anyway, some parts of the movie perfectly portraits the lack of freedom in Argentina along those 7 years, and there are some sequences really shocking (in particular the ones at the prison where Emma Thompson's character gets imprisoned -and tortured, and raped-). Antonio Banderas and Emma Thompson play their roles with so much intensity, especially Mrs. Thompson, one of the best dramatic actresses from the last 20 years (in my opinion).

That's all. I just want to add that this kind of movies are so necessary, people need them not to forget some of the darkest passages of human history. Especially they need them there in the United States Of America, where no one knows a thing about latin-american dictatorships (most of them supported by the White House).

My rate: 7/10