Cortazar: Notes for a Documentary
| Cortázar: Notes for a Documentary | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Eduardo Montes-Bradley |
| Written by | Eduardo Montes-Bradley |
| Produced by | Contrakultura Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | Argentina |
| Language | Spanish |
Cortázar: Notes for a Documentary is a 2002 Argentine documentary film directed by Eduardo Montes-Bradley. The film offers a reflective and layered portrait of the acclaimed Argentine writer Julio Cortázar, combining archival footage, literary excerpts, and commentary to explore his life, creative work, and enduring cultural legacy. [1]
The film premiered theatrically in Buenos Aires and was widely reviewed in the Argentine press. It was later screened at several international film festivals[2] and cultural institutions around the world. [3] The film was distributed in the United States through Alexander Street Press [4]
Synopsis
[edit]Rather than presenting a conventional biographical narrative, Cortázar: Notes for a Documentary adopts an essayistic, nonlinear approach, echoing the experimental style of Cortázar’s own writing. The film interweaves interviews, archival images, home movies by Cortázar, family photographs, and dramatic readings of Cortázar's work.
Themes of exile, political commitment, surrealism, and identity are addressed throughout the film, as well as Cortázar’s influence on 20th-century literature and thought.[5]
Production
[edit]The documentary was directed, written, and produced by Eduardo Montes-Bradley. It was filmed on location in Europe and South America and incorporates audio and visual materials from a variety of public and private archives. The soundtrack reflects Cortázar’s personal connection to jazz and classical music. The film includes conversations and interviews with Tomás Abraham, Claribel Alegría, Manuel Antín, Bruno Arpaia, Osvaldo Bayer, Ernesto Cardenal, Alejo Carpentier, Rolo Diez, Horacio González, Liliana Hecker, Daniel Guebel, Hugo Gutiérrez Vega, Juan Madrid, Carlos Montemayor, Juan Carlos Onetti, Octavio Paz, Sergio Ramírez y Ismael Viñas. [6]
Release and Reception
[edit]Cortázar: Notes for a Documentary premiered in 2002 in Buenos Aires, where it was met with critical acclaim. The film was subsequently screened at numerous festivals, including the Havana Film Festival and others in Latin America, Europe, and the United States.
Argentine newspaper Página/12 described the film as “a kaleidoscopic look at Cortázar,” noting its refusal to impose a fixed narrative. International reviewers also praised the film’s aesthetic choices and intellectual ambition.Pagina/12 [7]
Legacy
[edit]The film is considered one of the most comprehensive documentaries on Julio Cortázar and is frequently cited in academic discussions of his work. [8]It has been screened in university classrooms, literary events, and retrospectives on Latin American literature and film.
Eduardo Montes-Bradley’s portrait of Cortázar has contributed to a renewed public and academic interest in the author’s life and the political and artistic movements that shaped him.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ La Nación, by Julia Montesoro, 12-3-2002[1]
- ^ La Habana [Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana, Programación 2003.]
- ^ WorldCat [2]
- ^ ProQuest[3]
- ^ "Entrevista con Eduardo Montes-Bradley", Clarín Cultura, 2002.
- ^ IMDB[4]
- ^ "Una mirada caleidoscópica sobre Cortázar." Página/12, 2002.
- ^ Catedral Tomada, of Latin American Literary Criticism [5]