Katja Alemann returns to the cinema with “La Sudestada”, presented at the BAFICI

Next Wednesday begins Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival (BAFICI) and it’s a great opportunity to see this year’s Argentinian and international news on the big screen. One of the most remarkable films, which takes part in the international competition, is the South-Eastof Daniel Casabe there Edgardo Dieleke.

after the documentary The exact shape of the islands, Argentine directors are once again embarking on a fiction that is difficult to define as they experiment with various genres between thriller, comedy or documentary fragments. It focuses on the story of Jorge “the dog” Villafañez He is a lonely, macho and selfish private detective who must pursue his prey, Elvira, famous choreographer. He will be captivated by her and a series of unexpected events will unfold. All immersed in the captivating atmospheres of the Buenos Aires Delta and the city of Buenos Aires.

GlobeLiveMedia Culture spoke with the filmmakers who are presenting for the first time a fiction starring the famous actress Katja Alemann.

—When did you get the idea of ​​doing the South-East?

Edgardo: — We came with several projects in preparation and certain things in mind. Some time ago we were working on the idea of ​​making a fiction film, after having made the documentary The exact shape of the islands, which was our previous film. The idea materializes when you come across the comic strip the South-Eastby the graphic designer Juan Saenz ValienteWe are neither specialists nor fans of the subject, but we were very attached to the universe of the publication and we started to work on an adaptation. We saw a very interesting story between the locations of Buenos Aires and Tigre and the very particular characters like the detective and the dancer.

Daniel: —In 2018, we started the adaptation, then the pandemic delayed our filming plans a bit. We shot in March and April 2022, fortunately at that time there were already few cases of coronavirus and it was possible to film more calmly, as you know what was filmed in times of pandemic was, in addition to being more expensive, very cumbersome because of the question of taking care of what Nobody in the team gets sick and respects the protocols.

It may interest you: the BAFICI 2023 was presented, more than 250 films and 30 special events in 15 locations

—Are there any changes between the script and the original comic?

Edgardo: – The characters have the same jobs: a very special private detective who doesn’t look like a detective, that is to say he doesn’t have the usual look, since he’s a fat man in his sixties, he is out of shape and lives a bit of a recluse in the southern part of town and on the other hand, the dancer. It’s maintained, but we’ve changed certain aspects of the questions, the actors don’t keep the same characteristics. The main change is the case of the choreographer who was another type of character in the graphic novel. From the start, we decided to work with Katja Alemann which, unlike the comic, gave the film a whole documentary aspect because there are photos and audiovisual material of it, fragments of experimental films that he made in the 70s. allowed to build another type of character.

Daniel: – The names and a certain narrative line are maintained, but we made a lot of modifications in the adaptation, especially the character of Elvira has another weight and another objective.

—How did you choose Katja Alemann?

Daniel: — Katja was the only actress we had in mind from the start when we wrote the screenplay. We knew it was her and we had all the faith, hope and confidence to talk to her and convince her. It was a super interesting project for us and for her. She is such a relevant figure for the counterculture, for experimental cinema, her figure has crossed many planes and all the material that has not been seen and that she has is impressive. It meant a very enjoyable world for us to explore in the film. In addition, it was for her a return to the cinema with a main role, with dance also involved in the medium to which it is closely linked. Katja is a very interesting person in many ways and she is very involved in all the projects she does in all areas.

Edgardo: … Narcissus Hirsch who was Katja’s mother’s experimental film partner, Marie Louise Alemann. We had contact, we brought him a first file, then we had a conversation on Zoom because we were in full confinement and one of them liked the proposal. She immediately hooked because she understood that we were working a lot on her character, wanting to link it to certain documents of her life. There is a short film by Marie Louise Alemann where she dances as a young woman and it is also a kind of tribute to her and her mother.

—How was the experience of incorporating dance into the film?

Edgardo: — It was a challenge, because unlike the comics, the world of dance is much more of a protagonist in the film. These are some of the decisions we have made regarding adaptation. When we started thinking about what to play the character of Elvira in the film, we were very impressed with the work of Diana Seinblum, Argentinian choreographer. We therefore summoned her to include her work and that of her dancers in the cinema.

Daniel: —The work she gave us that we included in the film is “Inside“where are the dancers Pablo Castronovo, Barbara Hang there Andres Molina. In addition, she also worked on the film as a dance coach and it was she who prepared the dance scenes with Katja and Juan Carrasco. It is not the exact work that appears, but a few fragments. The dance is very important for the characters, especially for the detective, because it awakens things which, for a character of this type, of the world from which he comes, are new. It was like joining opposite worlds, a great detective with his neighborhood convictions with an experimental choreographer who does very strange things.

—How did you come to choose Juan Carrasco as the protagonist?

Edgardo: —Once we had Katja, the other protagonist we needed was the detective role Jorge Villafanez. We were testing different options, because we weren’t so clear about it, until we came across Juan Carrasco. In the first interview, we realized that Juan was going to add another physical dimension to the character that we hadn’t thought of that way in the first place.

Daniel: —When we saw him walking, talking, gesticulating, we realized it was him. Moreover, he loved the project and the comic when he read it. We wanted it to be a film entirely starring a great actor like Juan. It’s his first leading role, he’s a figure who has worked a lot in the theater, in fact now he has an award nomination Trinity Guevarashe came more from that side and was a good fit for someone a little better known as Katja.

—What advantages do you find in working together?

Edgardo: -Daniel and I have known each other for a long time, since high school, so we already know each other’s stuff. When we know each other so well, we can already read a look, or if we are on the set, we can understand where the other is going or what he thinks without having to talk to each other.

Daniel: —We complement each other a lot, he promotes me the things I want to promote and I think the opposite and also, we are very obsessive and we manage very well good conflicts, contrary opinions, always when we discusses post-project, so that things grow. We were happy with the shooting dynamic of fiction, which is very intense and different from that of documentaries and at one point it was a test that we were sure to pass and in fact it was spectacular. We love being together in all areas and learning from each other and interacting with the technical team, which was a luxury where we could count on the participation of many friends.

—How did you experience the experience of presenting it for the first time in the International Competition of the Rotterdam Film Festival?

Edgardo: — The world premiere was spectacular, a dream. It was an amazing looking room, sensational projection and sound quality. The 500 seats in the hall were full.

Daniel: — It was a dream come true to be in one of the most important festivals in the world, with so much history and it happened very quickly because we finished the film and went there immediately . It’s a 50 years old festival where people from Europe and all over the world go, it has a very interesting program with films from famous directors and also new ones. The three performances that took place were very well received, we couldn’t believe it and we had a meeting with the public with very interesting questions and answers, people from different countries who connected with the film, with dance, with climates, with the Tiger, with many things.

*”La sudestada”, by Daniel Casabé and Edgardo Dieleke, can be seen on Wednesday April 26 at 9:45 p.m. at the Cinéma Gaumont (Av. Rivadavia 1635, CABA); Thursday, April 27 at 2:30 p.m. at Alianza Francesa (Av. Córdoba 946, CABA) and Sunday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m. at El Cultural San Martín (Sarmiento 1551, CABA). In addition, it will be released in Argentinian theaters on May 11.

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