Santiago Mitre’s “Argentina, 1985” and “News of a Kidnapping,” created by Andrés Wood and Rodrigo García, swept the top prizes for best picture on Saturday night at the 2023 Platino Awards, in a sign of how the global streamers – here Amazon Studios and Prime Video – have lured top-of-their-class talent in Latin America.
One highlight of the ceremony, dedicated to films and TV shows in the Spanish-speaking world, was Benicio del Toro’s acceptance speech of a honorary Platino in which he reflected on being typecast for many years in Hollywood as a Latino actor.
“If I had to play stereotypes, I tried to find the character’s humanity, a sense of complicity, so that audiences felt what my character felt and whilst they’re watching, don’t forget who I am and where I come from.,” he said. “What’s important is to share more than be divided,” he added.
Del Toro was received with a standing ovation by an audience made up of some of the best actors in Spain, which hung on his every word.
Directed by Mitre, who broke out to attention with “The Student,” then conquered Cannes with “Paulina,” the Academy Award-nominated “Argentina, 1985,” produced by Amazon Studios, Infinity Hill, Mitre’s label Unión de los Rios and star Ricardo Darín’s Kenya Films swept best picture, screenplay (Mitre, Mariano Llinás) actor (Darín), among five awards.
Commissioned by Prime Video in 2020, in the same funding round that included “Iosi, the Repentant Spy,” “News of a Kidnapping” scooped best series, creators (Wood, García), series actress (Cristina Umaña) and supporting actress (Majida Issa). Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios and Chile’s Invercine & Wood produce.
It may or may not be a coincidence that both titles, as well as Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “The Beasts,” which swept four prizes including best director, talk about how individuals or institutions – the Colombian senator husband of an abduction victim in “News,” Darin’s crusading public prosecutor in “Argentina, 1985,” a French couple in deep Galicia in “The Beasts” – confront violence, whether the institutionalised torture and murder under Argentina’s Junta, endemic drug gang coercion in “News” and wounded machismo in “The Beasts.”
“Thank you to the thousands and thousands of Colombians who, silently, without any show, try to make peace and a country, despite all the obvious difficulties,” said Umana.
“Memory is important. We can’t allow violence to be the innate solution in any part of the world,” said Infinity Hill’s, Axel Kuschevatzky, a producer of “Argentina, 1985.”
In other Awards highlights, Spain’s Laia Costa and Susi Sánchez repeated their Goya plaudits taking best film actress and supporting actress as daughter and mother in “Lullaby.”
FILM
Best Feature
“Argentina, 1985” (Argentina)
Director
Rodrigo Sorogoyen, “The Beasts”
Lead Performance
Laia Costa, “Lullaby”
Ricardo Darín, “Argentina, 1985”
Screenplay
Mariano Llinás, Santiago Mitre, “Argentina, 1985”
First Feature
“1976” (Chile, Argentina)
Best Feature Comedy
“Official Competition,” (Argentina, Spain)
Original Score
Sergio Prudencio, “Utama”
Supporting Role Performance
Susi Sanchez, “Lullaby” (Spain)
Luis Zahera, “The Beasts” (Spain, France)
Animated Feature
“The Eagle and the Jaguar: the Legendary Warriors” (Mexico)
Documentary Best Feature
“El Caso Padilla,” (Cuba, Spain)
Editing
Alberto del Campo, “The Beasts”
Art Direction
Micaela Saiegh, “Argentina, 1985)
Cinematography
Barbara Álvarez, “Utama”
Sound Direction
Aitor Berenguer, Fabiola Ordoyo, Yasmina Praderas, “The Beasts”
Film & Education In Values
“Argentina, 1985” (Argentina, U.S)
HONORARY AWARD
Benicio del Toro
TV
Best Series Or Mini-Series
“News of a Kidnapping” (Colombia, Chile, U.S.)
Best Series Or Mini-Series Creator
Andrés Wood, Rodrigo García, “News of a Kidnapping”
Actor In A Series Or Mini-Series
Guillermo Francella, “The One in Charge”
Actress In A Series Or Mini-Series
Cristina Umaña, “News of a Kidnapping”
Supporting Actor In A Series Or Mini-Series
Alejandro Awada, “Iosi, The Regretful Spy”
Supporting Actress In A Series Or Mini-Series
Majida Issa, “News of a Kidnapping”
