La Ciénaga

About La Ciénaga

Directed by Lucrecia Martel, La Ciénaga (The Swamp) is a haunting exploration of family dynamics and social hierarchy. This Argentine film, released in 2001, starts with a group of family and friends languishing under the heat of summer. The film exposes buried secrets and tensions that come to the surface when one of the children has an accident. A social critique of Argentinian upper-middle class dynamics, marital struggles and parent-child conflicts, the film subverts the idyllic depiction of family life.

Making / Production

La Ciénaga was Lucrecia Martel's debut film, where she showcased her adeptness in portraying the nuances of familial tensions and social hierarchies. The film was produced by Lita Stantic, bolstered by an impressive screenplay and exceptional character development.

Actors

• Graciela Borges as Mecha - She brilliantly portrays a matriarch grappling with the complexity of familial expectations and personal downfall.
• Martín Adjemián as Gregorio - Martín delivers a nuanced performance as the indifferent, substance-abusing husband.
• Leonora Balcarce as Momi - Leonora plays the teenage daughter who is in the midst of defining her identity.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The title of the film, "La Ciénaga", means "The Swamp" in English, symbolising stagnation and decay.
• La Cienaga was Martel's debut directorial venture, now considered a landmark in New Argentine Cinema.
• Marta's house in the film was actually the childhood home of director Lucrecia Martel.

Awards

'La Ciénaga' has accumulated several awards and garnered critical acclaim. Significantly, it won the Alfred Bauer Prize and the FIPRESCI Prize - Competition at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2001.

Quotes

• "The rotten state of everything."
• "The city isn't much better, not at all."
• "I'm losing my looks."

Music, Soundtrack

• The non-diegetic sound of thunder creates suspense and foreshadows the impending doom.
• The diegetic sound, such as the television, radio, contributes to the sense of idle languor and brushing over important societal issues.