El ciudadano ilustre (2016)

A recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature, who has been living in Europe for decades, accepts an invitation to receive a prize. In Argentina he finds both similarities and irreconcilable differences with the people of his hometown.

Directors:

Gastón Duprat (co-director), Mariano Cohn (co-director)

Writer:

Andrés Duprat

Stars:

Oscar Martínez, Dady Brieva, Andrea Frigerio

27 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Oscar Martínez	...	Daniel Mantovani
Dady Brieva	...	Antonio
Andrea Frigerio	...	Irene
Nora Navas	...	Nuria
Manuel Vicente	...	Cacho - el intendente
Marcelo D'Andrea	...	Florencio Romero
Belén Chavanne	...	Julia
Gustavo Garzón	...	Gerardo Palacios
Julián Larquier Tellarini	...	Conserje (as Julian Larquier)
Emma Rivera	...	Emilse
Nicolás de Tracy	...	Roque
Daniel Kargieman	...	Renato Provicello
Alexis López Costa	...	Asistente del Intendente
Leonardo Murija	...	Mendez
Pedro Roth	...	Nobel Prize Presenter

Storyline

After refusing big and prestigious awards all over the world, Mr. Mantovani, Literature Nobel Prize winner, accepts an invitation to visit his hometown in Argentina, which has been the inspiration for all of his books. It turns out that accepting this invitation is the worse idea of his life. Expect the unexpected when you have used real people as characters in your novels!

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Plot Keywords:

argentina | prize | literature | award | hometown | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

Argentina Spain

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

1 September 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Distinguished Citizen

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arco Libre, Televisión Abierta, Magma Cine

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

French visa # 146040.

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Connections

Referenced in KVIFF Guide: Episode #1.9 (2017)

User Reviews

Delightful black comedy

Black comedies are a difficult movie genre. They have to get the tone exactly right, otherwise they are either not funny enough or too much over the top. In this respect, 'El ciudadano ilustre' is perfect. It's understated enough to be subtle, and surreal enough to make you laugh. It has this quality in common with that other Argentinian surprise from three years ago, 'Relatos Salvajes'.

'El ciudadano ilustre' is about a Nobel-prize winning author living in Spain, who decides to accept an invitation to become honorary citizen of his hometown, a sleepy backwater in the south of Argentina in which all of his novels are set. At first, it is unclear why he decides to accept this invitation, and only in the final minutes of the film this question is more or less answered. This nice twist at the end is the cherry on the cake.

The author, used to being admired and praised everywhere he goes, has to adapt to the less sophisticated way of life in his hometown. Already during the drive from the airport, he is in for a surprise. The car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, and he is forced to tear his latest novel apart in order to use the pages for lighting a camp fire. It's symbolic for the lack of respect the local people have for his novels. Some of them are not extremely enthusiastic about the way their town is portrayed.

His visit starts a series of unexpected events, in which art, sex, violence and local politics play a part. But the film's bizarre story line is not its only quality. Above all, it's the way the local community is shown. In one small scene, the author is sitting on a street bench when an old man appears from a nearby house to bring him a cup of the Argentinian drink 'mate'. He drinks in silence, returns the cup to the man, who re-enters the house. End of scene.

'El ciudadano ilustre' is a wonderful film, highly recommended for anyone who likes understated humor and surreal situations.