Argentina euphoric after Oscar for best foreign film
Argentina erupted with joy Monday on news that its film “El Secreto
de Sus Ojos” (“The Secret in Their Eyes”) came away with the Oscar for
best foreign language film.
“This is a historic moment,” veteran actor Guillermo Francella, a
member of the film’s cast, said in a television interview after the
Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood handed Argentina its first golden
statuette in 25 years.
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Argentine actors Soledad Villamil (R) and Ricardo Darin, who were stars of
the movie “El secreto de tus ojos” (The secret of your eyes),
during a press conference in Buenos Aires . AFP |
“The people felt it personally, which is why there is so much joy in
Argentina.”
The winning film, based on a novel by Eduardo Sacheri, tells the
story of an investigator in 1999 trying to solve the 1974 case of the
rape and murder of a woman in Buenos Aires, highlighting the turbulence
of the 1970s.
“We’re happy because we won.... It was a fantastic film I saw twice
and which had an impact on me,” President Cristina Kirchner said.
“With (director Juan Jose) Campanella’s talent and the huge public
success in Argentina, we showed that this film could win the Oscar.”
The telecast of the Oscars ceremony was the most-watched program by
Argentines of the day late Sunday from Hollywood but the early morning
hours of Monday for the South American nation.
For anyone who missed it, news channels continuously repeated the
moment in which Campanella raised the statuette.
Monday morning newspapers tore up their front pages to issue second
editions with news of the film award, which was the second for
Argentina, the only country in Latin America which has won the award.
The Argentine film topped “Ajami” from Israel, “The Milk of Sorrow”
from Peru, “Un Prophete” from France and “The White Ribbon” from Germany
to win the prize for best foreign language film.
“It was really miraculous because the films they were competing
against were excellent,” said Ricardo Darin, another member of the cast.
BUENOS AIRES, AFP |
