Luis Puenzo
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Luis Adalberto Puezo (born February 19, 1946 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) is a film director, producer and screenplay writer.
He works mainly in the cinema of Argentina, but has worked in the United States.<ref>IMDb film data base.</ref>
Biography
Puenzo has had a long and successful career in producing commercials in Argentina.
In 1968 he founded his own production company, Luis Puenzo Cinema, and in 1974 the firm's name was changed to Cinemanía S.A.
During Argentina's Dirty War in the mid 1970s and early 1980s many filmmakers became victims of repression and some went into exile; some disappeared. During this difficult time, Puenzo decided to work in advertising.<ref>Aufderheide, Patricia. Cross-Cultural Film Guide, The American University, 1992.</ref>
In the United States he is known for his film Old Gringo (1989), starring Gregory Peck, Jane Fonda and Jimmy Smits.
His The Official Story (1985) won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film and many other accolades.
Observations
The Official Story, arguably Puenzo's best work, has been lauded by film critics and scholars for bringing to the screen a story that "[is] an excellent point of departure to explore some of Argentina and Latin America’s most salient problems today. As the film deals with its various themes, it shows their impact on individuals in a very personal way, thus making them more immediate." Today, Puenzo's film has become "a staple in many Latin American culture courses throughout the U.S. and Europe, keeping its relevance intact even though it is now well into its second decade."
According to Sandra Brennan most of his films "offer probing, metaphorical portraits of characters and relationships in the face of larger sociopolitical issues."
Filmography
- La Puta y la Ballena (2004), The Whore and the Whale
- Broken Silence (2002), Mini-TV Series, segment "Some Who Lived."
- La Peste (1992), The Plague (USA)
- With Open Arms (1990)
- Old Gringo (1989)
- La Historia oficial (1985), aka The Official Story
- Las Sorpresas (1975), segment "Cinco años de vida"
- Luces de mis zapatos (1973)
