News

For the past few weeks, I have been watching stuff that is intentionally and confidently convoluted in an attempt to make it seem like the story is complex, even though it’s clearly not. It’s not like I am voluntarily picking out these projects. They’re all chosen randomly so that they can be covered during the week of their release. And despite the unmethodical nature of the choices, if a pattern shows up, then I think it’s a trend. Joker: Folie à Deux seemed like an ending explainer for the previous movie, but it alternated between what’s real and what’s not in the dumbest fashion imaginable. Teacup was like a wannabe From, which itself was a confounding trip. The Last Night at Tremore Beach was infuriating and baffling. The Man Who Loved UFOs, despite being a biography, was a whole lot of nothing. Then there was Caddo Lake,...

The Man Who Loved UFOs tells the adventurous story of José de Zer, an Argentine TV journalist in the 1980s driven by obsession to uncover the truth about extraterrestrials. Directed by Diego Lerman, the film centers around a notorious episode from de Zer’s career where he stirred up nationwide interest after investigating alleged UFO sightings in rural Cordoba.

Played captivatingly by Leonardo Sbaraglia, de Zer approaches any strange phenomenon with zealous enthusiasm. When locals pitch him reports of weird activity in the mountains, he eagerly sets off with cameraman Chango to find answers. But de Zer’s methods become increasingly questionable as he begins fabricating evidence to sensationalize the story.

The film explores de Zer’s fixation and whether his experience was real or merely the effects of stress. It also examines how far he went spreading tales for fame and ratings. Was he seeking truth or simply caught...

The Man Who Loved UFOs, directed by Diego Lerman, is based on the true story of the journalist Jose de Zer, who claimed that life beyond Earth was not a figment of imagination. Throughout his career, he tried his level best to substantiate his claims, to find evidence, to prove his theories, but in the end, the world came to know that it was all one big lie. The people who wanted to believe in his narrative still did, but he was not able to provide a single piece of evidence that could substantiate the credibility of his theories. So, let’s find out what happened in the film and if Jose told such lies intentionally or unintentionally.

Spoiler Alert

What happened to Jose in Sanai?

I believe what happened with Jose in Sinai played a key role in shaping his ideology and also making him delusional. It is not...

Biography is undoubtedly one of the most popular genres in existence, because people just love to watch a Wikipedia page come to life in live-action format. But as someone who has flunked his history exams quite a few times, I don’t like a by-the-numbers chronicling of the past. I love biographies that tend to have pizazz, if they have the audacity to be experimental with their storytelling, or if they are centered around a not-so-popular subject matter. Off the top of my head, I can name Schindler’s List, Ford v Ferrari, Elvis (the 2022 one), Rocketman, Jarhead, The Aviator, First Man, Spotlight, Serpico, Spencer, American Animals, Dog Day Afternoon, Tetris, Judas and the Black Messiah, Dolemite Is My Name, and Chopper as some of my favorite biopics. Now, it seemed like The Man Who Loved UFOs was tailor-made for me. It had a peculiar subject matter. The filmmaking looked good.

“The Man Who Loved UFOs” is an Argentine film starring Leonardo Sbaraglia. It is directed by Diego Lerman.

“The Man Who Loved UFOs” is an unconventional and distinctive film that navigates the realms of drama and comedy while humorously posing fundamental questions: Does reality truly exist, or is it merely a construct of language and media fiction?

This film is entertaining, intelligent, and ironic, going far beyond the surface of its narrative. Leonardo Sbaraglia delivers a remarkable performance, embodying a complex and ambivalent character filled with doubts and excesses, yet grounded in reality.

“The Man Who Loved UFOs” is a unique and unusual movie that conveys more through irony than with grandiose effects.

A film that skillfully engages the audience, inviting them to ponder through humor.

The Man Who Loved UFOs – Netflix

Plot

A television presenter who has just experienced an attack is tasked with investigating the remnants of a...

Netflix’s The Man Who Loved UFOs (El Hombre Que Amaba Los Platos Voladores) tells the story of Argentinian TV journalist José de Zer and his cameraman Chango. It is 1986, and they travel to La Candelaria in Córdoba upon receiving “an unusual proposal from two shady characters,” explains a plot synopsis on the website of the San Sebastian Film Festival where the film celebrated its world premiere on Tuesday. “Arriving in the village, there’s nothing much to see, only a scorched field surrounded by hills. What happened next was the work of a genius in the art of exaggeration with a hidden talent: the ability to create the best-known audiovisual recording on the existence of alien presence in the history of Argentinian television.”

Or, as Netflix says in its summary: “What follows is the invention of the most famous alien sightings in the history of Argentine television.”

Yes, the...

Argentina’s embattled film sector took center stage this afternoon at the San Sebastian Film Festival as festival delegates held an official demonstration to highlight the struggles facing the country’s film institutions.

The demonstration was hosted by San Sebastian along with the Argentine Film Academy. Filmmakers from the Argentinian titles in competition at San Sebastian gathered on the stairs of the Kursaal Auditorium, the festival’s main hub, alongside other festival delegates where San Sebastian head José Luis Rebordinos gave a speech.

“Today the San Sebastian Film Festival, as the cultural expression that it is, cannot simply sit back and watch the dismantling of a national film industry by a government which, in addition, justifies a military dictatorship responsible for murdering thousands of people,” Rebordinos said.

The demonstration coincided with the premiere of Argentine filmmaker Diego Lerman’s film El hombre que amaba los platos voladores.

This year’s...

Fall is here, which means it’s time to bundle up on your couch and stream the weekend away. Let’s get into it: There’s plenty to enjoy in October on Netflix, from a new Ali Wong special to new seasons of shows like “Love Is Blind” and “Unsolved Mysteries.” The real unsolved mystery is how it feels like there is more “Love Is Blind” dropping every month, but I digress.

October also brings with it the chance to watch Season 1 of “Yellowjackets” (a Showtime hit) for the first time on the Netflix platform, as well as more “Outer Banks” and “The Lincoln Lawyer.” The best bet, however, is the return of Keri Russell.

Top Pick: “The Diplomat” Season 2

Russell returns as U.S. ambassador to the U.K. Kate Wyler in this “The Americans” meets “Homeland” Emmy-nominated hit. Season 1 ended with a massive cliffhanger, so the six-episode Season...

In terms of stars — Cate Blanchett, Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Tilda Swinton, Pamela Anderson — and auteur power — Pedro Almodóvar, Sean Baker, Costa Gavras, Edward Berger, Mike Leigh, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Joshua Oppenheimer, François Ozon, Lupita Nyong’o, Mohammad Rasoulof, Walter Salles, Maite Alberdi — this year’s San Sebastián Festival promises one of its biggest editions ever.

Yet it’s the Spanish festival’s wealth of new talent and rising names in its industry competitions sets it apart. Here are 10 things to expect from the fest, which runs Sept. 20-28 at the stunning Basque seaside resort:

Blanchett, Almodóvar, Bardem, Depp, Swinton, Anderson

Blanchett, Almodóvar and Bardem will collect career achievement Donostia Awards, with Blanchett talking up Guy Maddin’s Cannes hit “Rumours,” set for U.S. theatrical release via Bleecker Street on Oct. 18; Almodóvar and Swinton will present Venice success “The Room Next Door.” Depp will unveil “Modi,” his second film as a...

In keeping with its historical support of Latin American cinema throughout the years, the San Sebastian International Film Festival will this year make an extra push for Argentina’s cinema industry, which has been in a state of crisis since March after its newly-elected far-right leader Javier Milei moved ahead with plans to withdraw all state funding from its film body, the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (Incaa).

The state body backs most Argentinian films, festivals and events – including major Latin American festival Ventana Sur – and the impact the lack of funding will have on the country’s sector will be, according to many industry insiders, devastating.

As a result, San Sebastian is hosting a day of action on September 24 and has teamed up with the Argentine Academy of Cinematography Arts and Sciences and producer Gabriel Hochbaum...

For more than 70 years the San Sebastian International Film Festival has been considered the premiere hub for connecting Europe’s film industry to Latin American cinema and filmmaking talent. The festival has long supported the early works of famed Latin American filmmakers ranging from Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles to Argentina’s Daniel Burman whose respective early works Foreign Land and A Chrysanthemum Bursts in Cincoesquinas both screened at the festival.

In more recent years, Spain’s most prominent festival has made strides in strengthening the special relationship between Europe and Latin America through the creation of sections such as Works in Progress Latam (established in 2002) and its Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum (established in 2012). It was in the former that esteemed Chilean director Sebastián Lelio was given the Wip Latam Award in 2012 for his project Gloria.

“We have a very special relationship with the Latin American market,” says San Sebastian festival director José Luis Rebordinos.

Netflix Argentina executives have been promoting the upcoming slate featuring new work from Ricardo Darin, Santiago Mitre, and Juan José Campanella including series adaptations of two of the most iconic graphic novels and comic strips in Latin America.

Leading the new productions at the Made In Argentina showcase unveiled to industry members in Buenos Aires on Monday night was 27 Nights (27 Noches), Daniel Hendler’s adaptation of the family drama novel by Natalia Zito inspired by actual events.

Mitre, who wrote and directed the 2023 Oscar-nominated Argentina, 1985, will serve as producer on 27 Nights.

Campanella, the writer-director of The Secret In Their Eyes...

Netflix has unveiled a deep slate of originals out of Argentina including an animated adaptation of iconic comic strip Mafalda from Oscar-winning director Juan José Campanella. Another adaptation is El Eternauta, based on the graphic novel of the same name. There will also be a local version of dating series Love is Blind and a three-part doc about Argentine soccer star Ángel Di María.

The streamer’s Made In Argentina slate was presented at an event in Buenos Aires and comprised a whopping 19 projects. The standout titles included Mafalda, which has iconic status in Argentina where it ran as a comic strip in various newspapers. Created by cartoonist Quino, it follows the titular little girl and her family and friends.

Campanella, who helmed the Oscar-winning The Secret In Their Eyes (Best Foreign Language Film), will be director, screenwriter and showrunner. Mundoloco CGI, the animation studio he co-founded, is producing the series.

Buenos Aires – Mafalda, the beloved and wily six-year-old drawn into acclaim by celebrated Argentine artist Quino, will bring her socially-conscious hijinks to the screen. News of the adaptation, which will be ushered in by Oscar-winner Juan José Campanella, was announced Monday evening as Netflix unveiled their 2024 ‘Made in Argentina’ slate to a spirited crowd of industry and media professionals.

Campanella will direct, produce and showrun the project, while Gastón Gorali co-pens and acts as general producer of the Netflix Original series and Sergio Fernández boards as production director. Netflix and Campanella and Gorali’s Mundoloco CGI, the studio behind “Metegol,” the largest Latin American animated production to date, produce.

“Mafalda and her friends not only made me laugh a lot, but from time to time, they sent me to the dictionary. And each new word I learned came with the reward of a new laugh,” Campanella revealed in a July statement.