A VHS journey to the heart of one of the most shameful episodes of modern Argentina. Made almost entirely out of archive material, SPLINTERS (Esquirlas) is a firsthand reflection on family, pain and the passage of time, a further example that the personal is always political.
This screening is part of CinemaAttic’s ADRIFT, a film season bringing essential world cinema to Scotland this spring.
EDINBURGH
Where: Red Lecture Theatre, Summerhall (1, Summerhall, Edinburgh EH9 1PL)
When: Saturday 28 May, doors open at 20:20, screening starts at 20:30
GLASGOW
Where: GFT (12 Rose St, Glasgow G3 6RB)
When: Sunday 5 June, 20:00
A VHS journey to the heart of one of the most shameful episodes of modern Argentina. Made almost entirely out of archive material, SPLINTERS (Esquirlas) is a firsthand reflection on family, pain and the passage of time, a further example that the personal is always political.
A powerful debut feature by Natalia Garayalde winner of the Grand Jury Award in Visions du Reel and Jeonju, selected in Sheffield Doc/Fest, L’Alternativa, or Neighbouring Visions at Film Lincoln Center NY.
Director Natalia Garayalde was twelve when the Río Tercero munitions factory in Argentina exploded. Equipped with her father’s camcorder, she documented the scale of the disaster in her town. In time, what was supposed to be an accident was uncovered as one of the most shameful chapters of Argentina’s recent history, as the incident was connected with the illegal sale of weapons for the Balkan war by the Carlos Menem government. 25 years later, Garayalde reappropriated her VHS tapes to re-signify them and turn it into a powerful film essay on the family and the passage of time, the consequences of corruption and state violence, and the pain of a city that still endures.
“One of the more fascinating documentaries of recent memory” (CriterionCast)
“Esquirlas takes a key Argentine historical event and turns it into the tragedy of a nation, blurring the lines masterfully, blending the innocence of a child’s gaze with the rigour of journalism” (Desistfilm)
“Garayalde’s first film is admirable, both humanly and aesthetically” (Diario12)
“One of our fav films of 2021, a small miracle that grows inside you, a film that is rather film-experience made to be seen collectively in the dark of a cinema” (CinemaAttic)
THE PERSONAL IS POLITICAL (DOUBLE FEATURE): These sessions at Summerhall are programmed following the classic “Double Feature” format. We’ve paired this film with Payal Kapadia’s A NIGHT OF KNOWING NOTHING (starts at 18:30). One takes place in India, the other in Argentina, both use delicate material such as personal tapes and archives to develop wider reflections on national politics, government corruption and collective trauma, both formally impressive, both pushing the boundaries of creative documentary forward. So you can go home, but we strongly recommend you to enjoy these films together.
