Argentina Week

This week I was able to enjoy two cultural experiences emanating from the country to which part of my soul belongs, Argentina.

First I attended one of the final performances of Mario Diament's Cita a Ciegas ("Blind Date"), an appropriately melancholy vignette of life in Buenos Aires with not-so-subtle evocations of Jorge Luis Borges -- one of my favorite writers. This play opened to rave reviews in Buenos Aires, and I'm delighted to live in a city where it can be performed in Spanish (and Argentine-accented Spanish at that!). This was actually my first time to the Gala Theatre, which is located at 14th and... way north in Columbia Heights. I came away impressed by the ambiance, and discovered a new neighborhood for myself besides.

The second event was another movie at the Latin American Film Festival, Ciudad en Celo ("City in Heat"). From the Festival's website:

[Hernan] Gaffet’s character-driven comic debut, a light intelligent comedy,
centers around Buenos Aires’s Garllington pub, the daily meeting place for
Daniel Kuzniecka, who has recently instigated a spectacular break-up with his
girlfriend, and his group of late thirty-something friends, all variously
unlucky in love. Into their group comes tango singer Dolores Sola, who’s one of
the guys but also a catalyst for some emotional maturing. Her torchy singing
adds spice to the movie’s cockeyed romance.

A little cheesy, but about right. Made me long for for long afternoons in Buenos Aires cafes...

American Film Renaissance

Last week I snagged VIP tix to two movies in the American Film Renaissance (AFR) festival. AFR's motto is "the art of freedom," and its films contain various libertarian currents.

The first was "The Call of the Entrepreneur," which explained the role that entrepreneurs play in economic growth by weaving together the stories of a Michigan farmer, a New York banker, and a Hong Kong media magnate. Remarkable, and there was even a sizeable shout-out to Hayek. Well done, Acton Institute.

The second was "Weirdsville," and this movie was definitely weird. Set in a small town in Ontario (represent!), it follows the one-night travails of some small-time drug addicts. A pretty funny flick -- best part involved midgets dressed in full-on medieval regalia -- but not sure where it fit into the theme of the festival...

The after-parties on both nights were well put-together, the first at Poste Moderne Brasserie in Chinatown and the second at Blue Gin in Georgetown. A good time had by all.