Fernando Birri

Directing

Fernando Birri

Born March 13, 1925 · Santa Fe, Argentina

Died December 27, 2017 · aged 92

Fernando Birri was an Argentinian filmmaker, poet, painter, teacher and film school founder, and has been a key figure in Latin American cinema.

Known For

Flooded OutFlooded Out · 1962
Flooded Out
7.41962
MovieDrama
Tells the story of a poor family, inhabitants of the southern province of Santa Fe, who is forced to move into an abandoned railroad until waters recede Salado river wagon.
Toss Me a DimeToss Me a Dime · 1958
Toss Me a Dime
7.11958
MovieDocumentary
Everyday the children of the neighborhood known as "Tire Dié", in the city of Santa Fe, wait for the train to ask for money, shouting "Tire dié!" (toss me a dime!) to the passengers. Considered the first survey-on-film in Latin America.
Vanishing LandscapesVanishing Landscapes · 2013
Vanishing Landscapes
7.02013
MovieDramaMystery
A mockumentary about three young student filmmakers as they make a movie about an alleged film director living obscurely in a Buenos Aires mental hospital. In their visits to the mental hospital, the three students will forge a very special relationship with the self-styled former film director as they follow different clues and strategies to discover his 'true' identity.
Sierra MaestraSierra Maestra · 1969
Sierra Maestra
1969
MovieDrama
An Italian journalist is arrested in Venezuela by the military, accused of being a revolutionary. The journalist, interviewed by the press, says he has no connection with the guerrilla organizations and is thrown into jail and subjected to psychological and physical violence.
ORGORG · 1979
ORG
5.11979
MovieFantasyDrama
Explores the complex relationship between the spirit, body, and mind. The film is a nightmare with closed eyes because it counts among the most terrible moments of my life, my second exile, which lasted a very long time. Inspired by an ancient Hindu legend.
The Cheerful SquadronThe Cheerful Squadron · 1954
The Cheerful Squadron
6.11954
MovieComedyDrama
The Cheerful Squadron is a 1954 Italian war-comedy film directed by Paolo Moffa and Interpreted by movie stars like Paolo Stoppa, Vittorio De Sica, Alberto Sordi and Silvana Pampanini. Based on the military environment novel The Allegro Squadron by Georges Courteline (1886), this film presents a series of sketches on military life in the late nineteenth century.
AbandonedAbandoned · 1955
Abandoned
7.01955
MovieDramaWar
A group of rich young intellectuals hiding from the war in rural Italy play at being partisans when some disbanded soldiers and some refugees ask them for shelter in their villa. The young and aristocratic Andrea strikes up a friendship with a peasant girl, Lucia. Then the Germans suddenly appear, looking for the real partisans, and the time comes for serious decisions.
AttilaAttila · 1954
Attila
5.41954
MovieDramaWar
Attila, the leader of the barbarian Huns and called by the Romans "The Scourge of God", sweeps onto the Italian peninsula, defeating all of the armies of Rome, until he and his men reach the gates of the city itself.

Filmography

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A Very Old Man with Enormous WingsA Very Old Man with Enormous Wings · 1988
A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings
5.31988
MovieFantasyDrama
An elderly man with wings is blown off course during a tropical storm in this symbolic fantasy. The Old Man lands near a Caribbean island where a poor family gives him shelter in a chicken coop. Father Gonzaga is the skeptical priest who rushes to damn the creature. Soon the Old Man is the subject of curiosity seekers as Elisinda and Pelayo start charging admission. A traveling carnival of human oddities camps near the Old Man as people flock to see the show. The Old Man is reduced to being an unwanted pet, and after six years, he mends his wings and flies away. Nudity, simulated sex with a spider woman, and the ugliness of human exploitation definitely put this fantasy in a category not for children.

Director

Entangling ShadowsEntangling Shadows · 1998
Entangling Shadows
5.81998
MovieDocumentary
Documentary that celebrates 100 years of cinema in Latin America and talks about the origins and the development of cinema in this subcontinent. Its structure is based in 12 short films directed by various Latin American directors. These are: 1) "Los inicios", Iván Trujillo 2) "Cuando comenzamos a hablar", María Novaro 3) "Jugando en serio", Jacobo Morales 4) "De cuerpo presente [Las espirales perpetuas del placer y el poder] Cine Mexicano [1931- 1997]", Marcela Fernández Violante 5) "Cuando quisimos ser adultos", Edmundo Aray and David Rodríguez 6) "Cinema Novo", Orlando Senna 7) "Memorias de una isla, Juan Carlos Tabío 8) "Un grito, 24 cuadros por segundo", Julio García-Espinosa 9) "El día de la independencia", Federico García 10) "¿Sólo las formas permanecen?", Fernando Birri and Pablo Rodríguez Gauregui 11) "Todo final es un principio", Andrés Marriquín.

Director