The Student by Santiago Mitre (2011)
SYNOPSIS
El estudiante (The Student) is Roque Espinosa, a young man from a province that arrives in Buenos Aires City to attend college. Not long after, he realizes he is not there to study. Adrift, and having no true calling to follow, he uses his time to wander about University, make friends, meet chicks. One of them, an assistant teacher named Paula is who introduces him to political militancy. Roque starts attending the group meetings, connecting to the other members. He meets Alberto Acevedo, an old retired politician that now devotes himself to forming of cadres from his chair at University. Along with him, Roque learns the rules of politics and how to be a students´ leader; he feels that he´s finally found his true calling, and politics has become his own private College.
AWARDS
- BAFICI: Jury Special Prize / ADF Prize Best Cinematography /FEISAL Prize.
- LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL: Jury Special Prize.
- FICVALDIVIA (Chile): FIPRESCI Prize.
- AMAZONAS FILM FESTIVAL (Brazil): Best Director.
- GIJON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL: Best Film / Best Script / Best Young Jury Prize to Best Film.
- SUR AWARD (Academia de Cine Argentina): Best Original Script / Best First Feature Film / Best Actor Esteban Lamothe / Best Actor Romina Paula.
- FIPRESCI ARGENTINA: Best Argentine Film 2011
- FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE CINE DE CARTAGENA (FICCI) (Colombia): Best Film / Best Actor / FIPRESCI
- CONDOR AWARDS: Best First Feature Film / Best Original Script / Best Actor.
DIRECTOR - Santiago Mitre
Santiago Mitre (Buenos aires, 1980). He is one of the four directors of “El amor (1ª parte)” (BAFICI 2004, Venice 2004). He wrote the scripts for “Leonera” and “Carancho” (Cannes Official Selection 2008 and 2010), both films directed by Pablo Trapero. El Estudiante is his first feature film as a director.