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Un Dia de Suerte
Un dia de suerte (2002) is an Argentine and Italian film directed by Sandra Gugliotta, her first feature film, and written by Gugliotta and Marcelo Schapces. In Argentina it's also known as Lo que buscas es amor. The executive producer was Marcelo Schapces, and produced by Sandra Gugliotta and Fernando Merinero. Un dia de suerte at the Internet Movie Database.
It features Valentina Bassi as Elsa.
The theme of this docudrama is the economic turmoil and unemployment among the young in Argentina that occurred from 1999-2002.
The film won two awards at the Berlin International Film Festival: the Caligari Film Award and the Don Quixote Award.
Plot
Un dia de suerte takes place in Buenos Aires during the year 2000, and focuses on Elsa (Valentina Bassi), a 25-year old woman who barely makes a living as a promotional girl on the streets. She also commits minor crimes, like stealing from her boss' wallet, in order to survive.
As a promotional girl she does what can be considered humiliating work: handing out flyers for "anti-stress" tablets for motorists and pedestrians, dressing up in odd outfits for fast-food restaurants, and the like.
During the film protests take place in the streets of Buenos Aires but Elsa ignores them. Included are documentary-like scenes of the 2000 riots that seem shot by a handheld camera.
She dreams of fleeing her impoverished country and travel to Italy where a former "boyfriend," who she had a one-night stand with several months before, left for better opportunities. This is ironic because her anarchist grandfather (Dario Vittori) left Italy and came to Argentina to escape poverty (he still has anti-establishment views) years ago.
Her boyfriend Walter (Fernan Miras) protests the trip, yet, her grandfather urges her to follow her heart.
Her dream is mostly a fantasy she has in order to ameliorate the stress of surving during Argentina's economic troubles.
Background
Basis of film
The film's backdrop is the economic crisis Argentina faced from 1999-2002. The poverty rate of Argentina grew from an already high 35.9% in May 2001 to a peak of 57.5% in October 2002. In addition, the May 2000 unemployment rate was 15.4%; it climbed to 18.3% in December 2001.
Un dia de suerte was shot in Buenos Aires during the riots of 2000 when political unrest was at its highest. Blackouts were also a common occurrence and street crimes occurred often. Norton-Smith, Clare. BBC, film review, November 12, 2005.
Cast
Valentina Bassi as Elsa
Claudio Gallardou as Alejandro
Fernan Miras as Walter
Lola Berthet as Laura
Dario Vittori as Abuelo
Jesus Berenguer as Franco
Damian De Santo as Toni
Nicolas Mateo as Erasmo
Claudia Lapaco as Madre
Luis Luque as Hernando
Maria Laura Cali as Claudia
Mario Paolucci as Aristides
Distribution
The film was first featured at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 22, 2002. It opened in Argentina on April 25, 2002.
It was screened at various film festivals, including: the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema; the Sydney Film Festival, Australia; the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Czech Republic; the Toronto Film Festival, Canada; the AFI Film Festival, USA; the Angers Film Festival, France; and others.
Critical reception
Clare Norton-Smith, writing for the BBC, liked how the characters were developed by Sandra Gugliotta, and wrote, "Although Elsa endures grim circumstances and resorts to desperate measures, the spirit of conviction and a belief in oneself, make this ultimately a warm, life-affirming film. As Gugliotta says, her film 'speaks of dreams, of the possibility and the struggle to fulfill a dream. And it also speaks of good people, of social barriers, and of roots.'"
Some critics felt the film's theme, that is, economic deprivation, did not go far enough. David Walsh, writing for the World Socialist web site wrote, "Again, without being given some sense of the historical circumstances which account for the present state of mind, one cannot go very far. The film lacks the 'pathos of distance.' A Lucky Day raises interesting questions, but does not go terribly deeply into them. The scenes of the working class kids strike one as a bit false and stereotyped, a middle class notion of what such young people are like." Walsh, David. World Socialist Web Site, "Changed conditions and some of the same problems," May 15, 2002.
Awards
Wins
Berlin International Film Festival: Caligari Film Award; Don Quixote Award - Special Mention; both for Sandra Gugliotta; 2002.
Ankara Flying Broom International Women's Film Festival: FIPRESCI Prize; Sandra Gugliotta; 2002.
Nominations
Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor; Best Actress, Valentina Bassi; Best First Film, Sandra Gugliotta; Best Supporting Actress, Lola Berthet; 2003.
Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema: Best Film, Sandra Gugliotta; 2002.
Goya Awards: Goya; Best Spanish Language Foreign Film, Sandra Gugliotta; 2003.
Miami Latin Film Festival: Golden Egret Best Film; Sandra Gugliotta; 2003.
External links
Un dia de suerte at the cinenacional.com .
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Un Dia de Suerte
