“FIPRESCI 92” Prize to Lucrecia Martel

Critics honor the Argentinean filmmaker at the occasion of the Transatlantyk Festival  (July 14–21, 2017, Lodz, Poland)

Lucrecia Martel is considered to be one of the most significant contemporary filmmakers. She debuted in 2001 with the Golden Bear–nominated “The Swamp”. Her next productions – “The Holy Girl” (2004) and “The Headless Woman” (2008) – both nominated for the Golden Palm in Cannes – established Martel’s position as an international film artist. All three productions will be shown during this year’s Transatlantyk.

Lucrecia Martel joins an exclusive group of film creators honored with the special FIPRESCI award – The International Federation of Film Critics (Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique). The director will receive a “FIPRESCI 92” statuette during the 7th edition of Transatlantyk Festival, held in Lodz on July 14-21.

The “FIPRESCI 90+” Award celebrates over nine decades of the Federation’s activities, emphasizing the role and importance of film criticism. Founded in 1925, FIPRESCI is currently the key prestigious organization that brings together film critics from all around the world.

“We asked filmmakers who were important for us to celebrate with us, and to accept a special prize, the “FIPRESCI 90+” Award”, says Klaus Eder, the General Secretary of the International Federation of Film Critics. “This special “FIPRESCI 90+” Award” was so far presented to Jean-Jacques Annaud, Costa-Gavras, Nanni Moretti, Alan Parker, Goran Paskaljevic, Edgar Reitz, Ettore Scola, Béla Tarr, Margarethe von Trotta, and Andrzej Wajda – directors with whose work and conception of cinema we feel particularly connected. And now, in Lodz, Lucrecia Martel honors us, by accepting our “FIPRESCI 92″Award. She entered the international scene 2001 with her film “La Ciénaga” (The Swamp), a masterpiece of cinema, and is since a wonderful protagonist of Argentinean and Latin American cinemas. We are happy to extend our anniversary greetings from Europe to Argentina, country which offers one of the liveliest landscapes of cinema, in the past and today.”

Lucrecia Martel is undoubtedly one of the most exceptional contemporary female film directors. At the beginning of her career, she was in the center of the movement for a New Argentine Cinema – a movement that started to give additional momentum to Argentine cinema in the mid-1990s. Martel’s films are known for their minimalism, realism, often almost a naturalistic depiction of reality, critical references to the social and political situation, and a simple, elyptical narrative. In Martel’s approach, women are the protagonists – their stories often combine the reality with fantasy, dream, imagination or memories..

“I’m excited that Lucrecia Martel will be this year’s guest of Transatlantyk” says Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, an Oscar-winning composer and the Director of the Festival. “Truly, we couldn’t have hoped for a more adequate context for this event. It is a great honor for our Festival to have been chosen by the Federation. So far, among the ten “FIPRESCI 90+” laureates, there was only one woman. The second one will be awarded with the prize right here, in Lodz, during the Festival that has as its main theme the “Power of Woman”. It’s very rewarding.”

Lucrecia Martel will be awarded the “FIPRESCI 92” Prize on July 20 (Thursday) at 19:30 h (CET), during an official gala accompanied by the screening of “The Headless Woman” (La Mujer sin cabeza / La mujer rubia). Earlier, at 17:00 h on the same day, the director will meet with the festival audience during a special Masterclass moderated by a representative of FIPRESCI, the Chilean/French film critic Pamela Biénzobas.

During Transatlantyk Festival the audience will get a chance to watch three feature films directed by Lucrecia Martel:

“The Swamp” (La Ciénaga), prod. Argentina, France, Spain, 2001
An intimate family drama. The film tells the story of two women: a bored with life loner and her suffering from an inferiority complex cousin. An unexpected turn of events forces them to move in together. Martel’s feature debut, awarded at Berlinale, was one of the key productions that contributed to the development of the New Argentine Cinema, and a real masterpiece.  Many critics emphasized social metaphors, the artistry of realistic narration, and a skillfully developed aura of suspense.

“The Holy Girl” (La Niña Santa), prod. Argentina, 2004
The story of a dissatisfied mother and her teenage daughter, who seeks refuge from reality in faith. When a doctor appears in the hotel run by the mother, the lives of the two women are altered. The Argentine director creates this intimate story from the tiniest details, adding new understatements and building an intangible erotic tension, proving once more her unparalelled talent for portraying women. “The Holy Girl” entered the main competition in Cannes and was awarded with prizes at film festivals in Reykjavik and São Paulo.

“The Headless Woman” / La mujer sin cabeza (La mujer rubia), prod. Argentina, France, Spain, Italy, 2008
The last film of Martel’s Salta trilogy features famous stars of Argentine cinema. María Onetto (Wild Tales) plays Veronica, who is involved in a hit and run accident. Although she is not certain whether she hit a man or an animal, she is tormented by her conscience. The film entered the main competition in Cannes.

About The Festival

The 7th edition of Transatlantyk – a festival of film and music – will be held on July 14-21 in Lodz, Poland. Over 300 feature films and documentaries from around the globe will be screened during the Festival. The main theme of this year’s edition is the Power of Woman. The programme will feature productions created by and for women, as well as a series of events dedicated specifically to this theme. We invite you to join the only in Poland “Culinary Cinema”, with an amazing program created in cooperation with the Berlin International Film Festival. Our outdoor “Cinema in Bed”, labelled by BuzzFeed one of the 10 best cinemas in the world, awaits as well! Once more, two prestigeous composition contests will take place: Transatlantyk Instant Composition ContestTM and Transatlantyk Film Music CompetitionTM, which every year attract young film scores’ composers from around the globe. And a new addition: film premieres screened as a part of Panorama and Docs sections will compete for Distribution Award and PLN 40,000.

Festival Accreditations granting entrance to the majority of events during the Festival can already be purchased via the website: www.transatlantyk.org. The tickets for single screenings, special events, and promotional packages will be available for purchase starting with July 4.

Lodz, The City Of Film

For many years, Lodz has been considered the capital city of Polish cinema. It is the home of famous Lodz Film School – one of the oldest film schools in the world, founded in 1948, known for its graduates: Krzysztof Kieslowski, Roman Polanski, Jerzy Skolimowski, Krzysztof Zanussi, and Andrzej Wajda – whose Oscar-nominated “The Promised Land” as well as his final work “Afterimage” (2016) were shot right here, in Lodz. For almost 70 years, Lodz Film School has been educating the next generations of film directors, cinematographers, and other film professionals, who win prestigious prizes and awards in Poland and abroad on a regular basis. Every year, the extraordinary and unique atmosphere of the city attracts filmmakers, film lovers, and tourists. Lodz offers all film lovers Poland’s only Museum of Cinematography, devoted to the art of photography, media, and to famous Polish blockbusters. The city, with its characteristic post-industrial landscape, spectacular manufacturers’ palaces, and picturesque Art Nouveau tenement houses, is not only a priceless source of inspiration for filmmakers, but also a paradise for producers. So far, almost 200 films and tv series were shot in Lodz. Every year, over a dozen of new productions are set in the city, with film crews spending in Lodz, on average, 150 shooting days.

For more information please contact:
Agnieszka Wolak
Public Relations Director
agnieszka@transatlantyk.org
phone: +48 602 303 407

Published by Transatlantyk and FIPRESCI