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Kindergarten

  • 19891989
  • TV-MATV-MA
  • 1h 19m
IMDb RATING
4.9/10
123
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
41,177
13,778
Kindergarten (1989)
DramaRomance
The movie focuses on the marriage of Graciela and Arturo, who operate a kindergarten in their mansion.The movie focuses on the marriage of Graciela and Arturo, who operate a kindergarten in their mansion.The movie focuses on the marriage of Graciela and Arturo, who operate a kindergarten in their mansion.
IMDb RATING
4.9/10
123
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
41,177
13,778
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Jorge Polaco
    • Writers
      • Asher Benatar(novel)
      • Daniel González Valtueña
      • Jorge Polaco
    • Stars
      • Graciela Borges
      • Arturo Puig
      • Luisa Vehil
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Jorge Polaco
    • Writers
      • Asher Benatar(novel)
      • Daniel González Valtueña
      • Jorge Polaco
    • Stars
      • Graciela Borges
      • Arturo Puig
      • Luisa Vehil
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1User review
    • 1Critic review
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Photos

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    Top cast

    Edit
    Graciela Borges
    Graciela Borges
    • Graciela…
    Arturo Puig
    Arturo Puig
    • Arturo…
    Luisa Vehil
    Luisa Vehil
    • Luisa…
    Elvira Romei
    • Elvira
    Luciano Sanguineri
    • Luciano…
    Cecilia Etchegaray
    • Silvia
    Alejandro Urdapilleta
    • Popcorn Seller
    Eithel Bianco
    Margot Moreyra
    Eleonora Berlante
    Micaela Brandoni
    Néstor Tirri
    Noelia Demichelli
    • Kid in the playground
    • Director
      • Jorge Polaco
    • Writers
      • Asher Benatar(novel)
      • Daniel González Valtueña
      • Jorge Polaco
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      The movie was banned from theaters one day short of release and a prolonged trial ensued over eight years, emotionally devastating Jorge Polaco and his fellow workmen. It has gained notoriety as being the first-and only-film censored by a democratic government since the end of Argentina's last military dictatorship in 1983. Polaco lobbied for many years for a release of Kindergarten in public theaters. Finally, a restored copy of the film was released on the 2010 Mar del Plata Film Festival for the first time since its shooting over 20 years before. The film sparked controversy due to its perceived mistreatment of child actors (the protagonist spends most of his screen-time naked), as well as a number of censored scenes, including the one in which Graciela Borges enters a bathtub half-naked and tries to hug the child who was bathing in it and another one in which Elvira Romei performs an unsimulated fellatio to Arturo Puig.

    User reviews1

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    A Haunting Vision
    Eerie, atmospheric, and enigmatic are adjectives that come to mind when trying to describe _Kindergarten_. Notorious for being banned due to its explicit nudity and sexual content, this film will strike viewers either as pretentious nonsense or as an unforgettable depiction of neurosis.

    Graciela Borges and Arturo Puig star as a couple who run a kindergarten in the Argentinean countryside. The characters have the same names as the actors. Graciela is troubled, to say the least. She keeps the mummified remains of her father, talks to the corpse, and takes it for a walk. At times she tries too hard to connect with her stepson Leonardo; other times she rejects him violently. Arturo is only slightly more normal. His attempts to calm Graciela down often lead to aggression.

    The film jumps from the "real" to the symbolic constantly and without warning. Sudden scenes that appear to have no relation to what was going on before actually depict psychological states. The entire film may be interpreted as a complicated allegory. If I had to compare this film to the work of other filmmakers, the only names I could mention would be those of Alejandro Jodorowsky and Peter Greenaway. Polaco uses theatrical settings and revolving camera shots to create a haunting atmosphere. Big, old houses like the one where the action takes place abound in the Greater Buenos Aires area, and they are ideal settings for stories of isolation, madness, and dark desires. The film is punctuated by three recurring, and quite adequate, musical pieces: "Que Sera, Sera," "La Vie En Rose," and Erik Satie's "Gnossienne No. 1."

    A cinematic nightmare, _Kindergarten_ remains the only film to have been banned in Argentina after the return of democracy in the early 80s. It is not for everyone, but it is worth a try. To understand where the film comes from, I recommend watching it back to back with Polaco's first feature film, the grotesque _Diapasón_. (For a more accessible introduction to the director, there is _Siempre es difícil volver a casa_. Polaco called the latter his "película idiota," and while it is quite frivolous, I feel it does bear the director's mark.) Whether one considers it a masterpiece or a case of the proverbial emperor being naked (as so many of the film's characters are), one has to admit that _Kindergarten_ has the power of an original vision.
    helpful•13
    3
    • NostalgicQuixote
    • Mar 10, 2018

    Details

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    • Country of origin
      • Argentina
    • Language
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Ana Okulu
    • Production company
      • Argentina Sono Film S.A.C.I.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 19 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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