Diving into the Heart of Buenos Aires. The latest film by Israeli-Argentinian director Alexander Katzowicz, "Aliades" (Allies), featuring Ananda Bredice and Nahuel Vec, will be screened for the first time at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque from September 11 to 16, 2024, in Spanish with Hebrew subtitles. On September 11 and 14, Alexander will give a talk after the screening. With "Aliades," he presents an unexpected and audacious romantic comedy that ironizes the controversy surrounding inclusive language, feminism, and social relationships in Buenos Aires. Alexander subtly offers a satire of both chauvinism and feminism, without taking sides. Beyond ideology and politics, love blossoms between men and women. The film depicts a harsh reality rarely shown in today’s mainstream cultural currents. It has won eight awards for Best Film and Best Director at various festivals in Mexico, Argentina, and Uruguay before arriving in Israel.
An Emerging Self-Taught Filmmaker
Born in Israel, Alexander grew up in the film industry. His father was a film distributor at the Gordon Cinema in Tel Aviv. Alexander began working in cinema at the age of 18, without ever studying it at university. He taught himself the art of filmmaking; a natural choice for someone who never wanted to be constrained by formal education, preferring to absorb the real world to better understand it in his films.
"In my view, the best way to learn cinema was to discover it on my own, in an unconventional way: by reading books, listening to classical music, or going to the theater. To be a good director, you shouldn’t just focus on cinema but on everything around it; you need to draw inspiration from the outside world to create extraordinary works. Understanding narrative happens only when you step outside the academic or formal framework. Film schools, for example, produce employees rather than artists with personality. Today, most films we see are quite monotonous and false", says Alexander Katzowicz.
To stand out, Alexander learned the craft directly from the source by attending film archives in Barcelona and Madrid. His on-the-ground experience has been significant, leading him to create animated short films, stop-motion films, and documentaries in Spain, France, Argentina, and Mexico. His first feature film, "Internet Junkie," was released in 2015 in Argentina, Mexico, and Israel and was screened in 13 countries.
Shortly afterward, during the coronavirus pandemic, Alexander made "Aliades." A masterpiece that highlights the limits of feminism and the extent to which the movement has progressed in recent years in Western societies, reaching a tipping point: both women and men struggle to find their place as social codes seem upended. Through scenes where conversations between men or women are depicted very openly, sometimes in a raw manner, the film showcases the drift of feminism and inclusive language and its impact on human relationships.
The romantic scenes the audience witnesses are authentic. "It’s important to portray things as they are. Often in films, actors are shown getting out of bed half-dressed after an intimate moment; that never happens in real life. This film is a mirror of what happens in our daily lives", asserts Alexander.
Ironizing Reality
To produce this film, Alexander drew inspiration from stories set in Buenos Aires, but also from his surroundings and his own life.
"In Argentina, inclusive language has reached a ridiculous level, which I wanted to denounce ironically. Feminism has also gone too far. I support gender equality, but the situation has become exaggerated. Men are belittled and no longer know how to behave towards women; some companies don’t even hire women to avoid sexual harassment issues", says Alexander.
In his film, Alexander does not defend either side—neither men nor women. He considers himself "pro-intelligence" and strives to be as honest as possible. "People think that when we represent something, we must fully adhere to it, but that’s not true. An artist should take a step back and might not agree with the vision they present but should aim to be faithful to what they see in everyday life. I am against ignorance, fanaticism, ignorance, and stupidity; I represent reality, not ideologies", he says.
In Argentina, Alexander has managed to reach a very wide audience: women, men, young people, the elderly, people of right-wing and left-wing political opinions, all of whom have greatly appreciated the film. Women in particular have strongly identified with the characters. Alexander asserts that he has "fulfilled his mission."
"My goal is for people to have a good time, laugh, and enjoy themselves, especially in Israel during wartime; the film provides a real breath of fresh air. It’s a way to laugh at society but also to reflect on the changes occurring", concluded Alexander.
Alexander is currently working on his next project, a biopic in Israel with producers Moshe Edery and David Silber. "Aliades" will be screened on September 11, 13, 14, 15, and 16 at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque.
Link to purchase tickets: https://www.cinema.co.il/event/aliades-%d7%91%d7%a2%d7%9c%d7%99-%d7%91%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%aa/
Caroline Haïat
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