Cinema
Prisoners of the Land
Prisioneros de la tierra
Mario Soffici · 1939
Synopsis
Misiones, 1915. The mensús, day labourers on the maté plantations, sign deceptive contracts without being able to read, are weighed on rigged scales and paid in vouchers that never let them clear their debt, writes Matthew B. Karush. Esteban Podeley boards the boat of the German boss Köhner with other workers, Doctor Else, whose drinking prevents him from treating patients, and his daughter Andrea. Andrea and Podeley grow close, and Köhner holds Podeley for his debts.
Context
The film draws on four short stories by Horacio Quiroga, adapted by his son Darío and Ulyses Petit de Murat; produced by Pampa Films, it was photographed by Pablo Tabernero. During the location scouting, the intended actor, José Gola, fell ill and died, Karush relates. The critics of the time praised above all its authenticity, according to Karush. The Cineteca di Bologna and the World Cinema Project restored it in 2018, from two copies from Paris and Prague.
Who it is for
A drama in Spanish lasting an hour and a half, restored, harsh and without complacency; released in the United States by Criterion.
Prizes and reception
Voted best Argentine film in the Museo del Cine polls of 1977 and 1984.
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