Argentine and Patagonian cinema
The first films were shot in Argentina in 1896 by photographers Eugène Py and Henri Lepage, who were among the first to understand the potential of cinema. Working as photographers in Buenos Aires, they discovered the Lumière brothers' cinematograph after the country's first ever screening on July 18, 1896. In its early days, Argentine cinema drew on national literature and the country's rich history to offer popular subjects. In 1914, Amalia, directed by Enrique García Velloso and written by Eugène Py, became the first feature film in the country's history, while in 1917 director Quirino Cristiani created the world's first animated feature film. El Apostol, sadly lost today, was a national success and a favorite for its satire of President Hipólito Yrigoyen. Archives relating to this film - and to many others in the country's cinematic history - can be discovered at the Museo del Cine Pablo Ducrós Hicken, the national film library in Buenos Aires.
Because of their geographical remoteness, Ushuaïa and Patagonia have long remained off the map for filmmakers. In 1974, director Héctor Olivera, in collaboration with filmmaker Fernando Alaya and journalist and writer Osvaldo Bayer, shot La Patagonia rebelde (1974). A powerful historical fresco about the 1922 workers' revolt in Patagonia, and the violent repression that followed. Part true story, part Argentine western and part social drama, the film was selected for the Berlinale, where it won the Silver Bear in 1974. Héctor Olivera then pursued a prolific career between Argentina and the United States, mixing politically charged projects with more commercial productions, notably for B-movie producer Roger Corman. Another landmark film of the second half of the twentieth century, Carlos Sorin's The King's Film won the Goya for Best Foreign Film in 1987, before going on to win a prize at the Venice Film Festival. A self-reflexive work dedicated to cinema, and to the story of the legendary king of Patagonia. Carlos Sorin returned to film in the region in 2004 for Bombon le chien, which also won him critical acclaim.
In the 1990s, the rise of Argentine cinema continued with numerous productions, but Patagonia and Ushuaïa remained relatively unexploited on screen. In 1995, however, the region played host to Caballos Salvajes, a road movie set against a backdrop of social flight, which won numerous awards at the Condor, Argentina's equivalent of the Oscars, and was also acclaimed at the Sundance Film Festival. A few years later, it was director Alejandro Agresti who toured the world with his film Le vent en emporte autant, which sees a young cab driver retreat to Patagonia, to a small village where the only opening to the world is a cinema showing classics. A film which also celebrates the love of cinema as much as cinema itself, and which won awards at several European festivals.
Internationally renowned landscapes
Since the early 2000s, the region has been increasingly open to both national and international film shoots, a process set in motion by the growing reputation of local productions, supported or produced by the Patagonik Film Group, now acquired by Disney. At the same time, the captivating landscapes of this unique land are being showcased by major international documentary series. It was with Life on Earth that filmmaker David Attenborough first introduced international audiences to the landscapes of Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia. A multi-platform series that launched the career of this now world-famous filmmaker-narrator, Life on Earth was also one of the inspirations for the series Ushuaïa, hosted by Nicolas Hulot and broadcast on TF1 from 1987 to 1995. A resounding success for a program which, despite its name, did more than just introduce us to Patagonia and its region.
On the fictional side, it was director Werner Herzog who, in his South American career, first brought the region's craggy landscapes to the fore with Cerro Torre, le cri de la roche, in 1991. Considered at the time to be one of the world's most difficult summits to climb, the film is based on the true story of the first two climbers to conquer the peak, Italian mountaineer Cesare Maestri and his Austrian acolyte Toni Egger, who died on the descent. Shot around the summit and devoted almost entirely to this mountain, Cerro Torre tells the story of the rivalry between two climbers in the race to reach the summit, until it becomes destructive. It's an impressive film in which you'll also recognize Ushuaïa airport, the obligatory gateway for climbers on their expedition to the impossible.
In a similar survival vein, but closer to home, southern Argentina also hosted the production of The Revenant (2015), Alejandro González Iñárritu's story starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a trapper lost in the middle of the Canadian winter. Originally, the film was to have been shot entirely in Canada, but production delays and the imminent arrival of the thaw forced the entire film crew to move to Patagonia for the final shoot. You'll recognize the Tierra del Fuego landscape in the film's final scenes, as Hugh Glass (DiCaprio) confronts John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy). Critically acclaimed, The Revenant finally earns Leonardo DiCaprio the coveted Oscar, while Iñárritu walks away with the statuette for Best Director.
Rest assured, however, there's no need to brave the elements to enjoy Patagonia's most beautiful landscapes. The proof is in Long Way Up (2020), a documentary series following the motorcycle road trip of Ewan McGregor and his friend Charley Boorman, from Ushuaïa to Los Angeles. Pure pleasure for fans of the genre, and a great way to discover the region via the small screen.
