by Mario Soffici
My experience as a director
When I started making films, I was beset by a number of questions. What was the true role of a film director? What is a director? Is he a craftsman, a creator? Is he truly an artist? By chance, I came across a definition of the cinematic art in a small Italian encyclopaedia entitled Il Lessico that said:
“Is the cinema an art? An answer in the affirmative depends on the import and justification of cinematic theory… In any case, the cinema is an artistic profession, practised by a large number of people from different backgrounds who, through their work, contribute to the production of films. “
I believe that a director must be involved in society and contribute to its improvement as much as possible. Without trying to solve them, he has to highlight the troubles of his times and lead his audience to think about them.
This is far from easy because there are virtually always, to a greater or lesser extent, obstacles that prevent a director from expressing himself freely. To carry out his mission, he has to fight against them, totally at one with the period that he lives in. Through his own sensitivity, he must attempt to communicate, not by making excessive efforts to adapt to current trends but by evolving with his times and his audience. He must be authentic and express himself in sincere terms that are his alone. If he is able to do this, his style will impose itself and, since he will have moved with his epoch, he will produce a topical and personal body of film work. If, on the other hand, he tries to follow trends, he will lapse more easily into imitation. I sincerely believe that an Argentinean director must follow the path of authenticity.
