'La Ciénaga' best Latin-American movie of the decade

Argentina, Mexico and Brazil winners

Cinema Tropical announced today the results of a poll of the top Latin American films of the past decade which is headed by Argentinean filmmaker Lucrecia Martel‘s La Ciénaga (2001).

Cinema Tropical has compiled a list of the Top Ten Latin American Films of the Decade (2000-2009), based on a survey of distinguished critics, scholars and film professionals based in the New York City area.

All three Lucrecia Martel’s movies are in the top ten with “The headless woman” (La mujer sin cabeza) being 8th and The holy girl (La niña santa), 9th. No other Argentine movie made it to this part of the table.

Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth movies are Mexican and Brazilian, respectively Iñárritu‘s “Amores Perros”, Reygadas‘ “Silent light” (Luz silenciosa), Meirelles‘ “City of God” (Cidade de Deus) and Lacerda‘s Bus 174 (Onibus 174). “Whisky”, by Uruguayans Rebella and Stoll is 7th, just after the famous “Y tu mamá tambien“, by Cuarón (6th).

By country, Argentina heads the table with 37 movies, while Brazil (30) and Mexico (21) come just behind.

This first-ever survey of its kind was culled from 33 prominent local voices in film whose work has been devoted to the promotion and dissemination of Latin American cinema in New York and the United States.

In all, 121 films representing 13 Latin American countries were nominated for the distinction of being Best of the Decade, demonstrating the great quality and diversity of films from the region.

The 32 participants were simply asked to provide their favorite top-ten list of Latin American films (those produced in a Latin American country and helmed by a Latin American director) released either commercially or via film festivals between 2000-2009.

The ballots were then tabulated according to the following point system: The #1 pick received 10 points, the #2 received 9 points, and so on until reaching the #10 pick which was assigned a point value of 1. In total, 55 points were spread among the 10 films in each ballot.

Some participants chose not to rank their ballots. In those cases, the 55 total points were divided evenly among the ten selections. Each received a point value of 5.5.

THE OVERALL LIST

	FILM	DIRECTOR	Country	P
1)	La Ciénaga (2001)	Lucrecia Martel	Argentina	114.5
2)	Amores Perros (2000)	Alejandro González Iñárritu	Mexico	111
3)	Luz Silenciosa / Silent Light (2007)	Carlos Reygadas	Mexico	104.5
4)	Cidade de Deus / City of God (2002)	Fernando Meirelles	Brazil	83
5)	Ônibus 174 / Bus 174 (2002)	Jose Padilha, Felipe Lacerda	Brazil	74
6)	Y Tu Mamá También	Alfonso Cuarón	Mexico	71
7)	Whisky (2004)	Juan Pablo Rebella, Pablo Stoll	Uruguay	57
8)	La mujer sin cabeza / The Headless Woman (2008)	Lucrecia Martel	Argentina	53
9)	La niña santa / The Holy Girl (2004)	Lucrecia Martel	Argentina	48.5
10)	El laberinto del fauno / Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)	Guillermo del Toro	Mexico	36

11)	Nueve Reinas / Nine Queens (2000)	Bielinsky	Argentina	35
12)	Bolivia (2001)	Caetano	Argentina	33
13)	La nana / The Maid (2009)	Silva	Chile	30
14)	Madame Satâ (2002)	Ainouz	Brazil	29.5
14)	Japón (2002)	Reygadas	Mexico	29.5
16)	Historias mínimas / Intimate Stories (2002)	Sorín	Argentina	29
17)	La libertad (2002)	Alonso	Argentina	27.5
18)	La teta asustada / The Milk of Sorrow (2009)	Llosa	Peru	26.5
19)	Diarios de motocicleta / The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)	Salles	Argentina	26
20)	XXY (2007)	Puenzo	Argentina	23
20)	Santiago (2007)	Salles	Brazil	23
22)	Jogo de cena / Playing (2007)	Coutinho	Brazil	19
23)	El violín (2005)	Vargas	Mexico	18
24)	Lake Tahoe (2008)	Eimbcke	Mexico	15
25)	Los Rubios (2003)	Carri	Argentina	14.5
26)	El baño del Papa / The Pope’s Toilet (2007)	Charlone, Fernández	Uruguay	14
27)	Edifício Master (2002)	Coutinho	Brazil	12
27)	O Céu de Suely / Love for Sale: Suely in the Sky (2006)	Ainouz	Brazil	12
29)	Dias de Santiago / Days of Santiago (2004)	Méndez	Peru	11.5
29)	Temporada de patos / Duck Season (2004)	Eimbcke	Mexico	11.5
29)	Cinema, Aspirinas e Urubus (2005)	Gomes	Brazil	11.5
32)	Los guantes mágicos / The Magic Gloves (2003)	Rejtman	Argentina	11
32)	Nadie te oye: Perfume de violetas (2001)	Sistach	Mexico	11
32)	Tony Manero (2008)	Lirrian	Chile	11
32)	Machuca (2004)	Wood	Chile	11
36)	El bonaerense (2002)	Trapero	Argentina	10
36)	Cama adentro / Live in Maid (2005)	Gaggero	Argentina	10
36)	El abrazo partido / Broken Embrace (2004)	Burman	Argentina	10
36)	La sagrada familia (2004)	Campos	Chile	10
36)	Oscar (2004)	Morkin	Argentina	10
36)	En el hoyo (2006)	Rulfo	Mexico	10
36)	Los muertos (2004)	Alonso	Argentina	10
36)	Suite Habana (2003)	Pérez	Cuba	10
44)	Crónicas (2004)	Cordero	Ecuador	9
44)	Peões / Metalworkers (2004)	Coutinho	Brazil	9
44)	Plata Quemada / Burnt Money (2000)	Piñeyro	Argentina	9
47)	Tropa de Elite / Elite Squad (2007)	Padilha	Brazil	8
47)	25 Watts (2001)	Rebella, Stoll	Uruguay	8
47)	Cocalero (2007)	Landes	Bolivia/Arg	8
47)	La rabia (2008)	Carri	Argentina	8
47)	Estamira (2004)	Prado	Brazil	8
47)	Historias extraordinarias (2008)	Linás	Argentina	8
47)	El hijo de la novia (2001)	Campanella	Argentina	8
54)	Nunca más (2001)	Rodríguez, Restrepo	Colombia	7
54)	Perpetuum Mobile (2009)	Pereda	Mexico	7
54)	Maldeamores / Lovesick (2007)	Ruiz, Pérez	Puerto Rico	6
54)	Tomas de guerra (2003)	Castaño, Trujillo	Colombia	6
54)	La mujer de mi hermano (2005)	de Montreuil	Peru/Mexico	6
54)	El caso Pinochet (2001)	Guzmán	Chile	6
54)	El cielo dividido (2006)	Hernández	Mexico	6
54)	Casa de Areia (2005)	Waddington	Brazil	6
54)	Rocha Que Voa (2002)	Rocha	Brazil	6
54)	Hamaca Paraguaya (2006)	Encina	Paraguay	6
54)	Música en espera (2009)	Golfrid	Argentina	6
54)	O Cheiro do Ralo (2006)	Dhalia	Brazil	6
66)	El Perro (2004)	Sorín	Argentina	5.5
66)	Pachamama (2008)	Matsushita	Bolivia	5.5
66)	Chega de Saudade (2007)	Bodanzky	Brazil	5.5
66)	En la cama / In Bed (2005)	Bize	Chile	5.5
66)	La pasión de María Elena (2003)	Moncada Rodríguez	Mexico	5.5
66)	Janela da alma (2001)	Jardim, Carvalho	Brazil	5.5
66)	El Custodio (2006)	Moreno	Argentina	5.5
66)	Leonera (2008)	Trapero	Argentina	5.5
66)	El inmortal (2005)	Moncada Rodríguez	Nicaragua/Mexico	5.5
75)	Un año sin amor (2005)	Berneri	Argentina	5
75)	Carandiru (2003)	Babenco	Brazil	5
75)	Rabioso sol, rabioso cielo (2009)	Hernández	Mexico	5
75)	O Prisionero Da Grade De Ferro (2004)	Sacramento	Brazil	5
75)	Liverpool (2008)	Alonso	Argentina	5
75)	Nada (2001)	Cremata Malberti	Cuba	5
75)	Señorita extraviada (2001)	Portillo	Mexico	5
75)	Tan de repente (2003)	Lerman	Argentina	5
75)	El telón de azucar (2005)	Guzmán Urzúa	Cuba	5
75)	O Fim e o principio (2005)	Coutinho	Brazil	5
85)	Juízo (2008)	Ramos	Brazil	4
85)	El método (2005)	Piñeyro	Argentina	4
85)	Náufragos: Vengo de un avión que cayó en las montañas (2007)	Arijon	Uruguay	4
85)	El niño pez (2009)	Puenzo	Argentina	4
85)	Accidente (2007)	Guimarães, Lobato	Brazil	4
85)	Hacer patria (2006)	Blaustein	Argentina	4
85)	Cleopatra (2007)	Bressane	Brazil	4
85)	Alamar (2009)	González-Rubio	Mexico	4
85)	El aura (2005)	Bielinsky	Argentina	4
85)	A Festa da Menina Morta (2008)	Nachtergaele	Brazil	4
85)	Soy Cuba, o mamute siberiano (2005)	Ferraz	Brazil	4
96)	Nacido y criado (2006)	Trapero	Argentina	3
96)	O Ano em que Meus Pais Saíram de Férias / The Year my Parents Went on Vacation (2006)	Hamburger	Brazil	3
96)	La sierra (2005)	Dalton, Martínez	Colombia	3
96)	El cuerno de la abundancia (2008)	Tabío	Cuba	3
96)	Copacabana (2006)	Rejtman	Argentina	3
96)	Matar a todos / Kill them All (2006)	Schroeder	Uruguay/Chile	3
96)	Batalla en el cielo (2005)	Reygadas	Mexico	3
103)	Abril Despedaçado (2001)	Salles	Brazil	2
103)	Fiesta patria (2006)	Vera	Chile	2
103)	Trópico de cancer (2004)	Polgovsky	Mexico	2
103)	Cidade Baixa (2005)	Machado	Brazil	2
103)	Conejo en la luna (2004)	Ramírez Suárez	Mexico	2
103)	Boivar soy yo (2002)	Alí Triana	Colombia	2
103)	Cordero de Dios (2008)	Cedrón	Argentina	2
103)	Baixio das Bestas (2006)	Assis	Brazil	2
111)	Cochochi (2007)	Cárdenas, Guzmán	Mexico	1
111)	A casa de Alice / Alice’s House (2007)	Teixera	Brazil	1
111)	Última parada 174 / Last Stop 174 (2008)	Barreto	Brazil	1
111)	Postales de Leningrado (2007)	Rondón	Venezuela	1
111)	El vuelco del cangrejo (2009)	Ruíz Navia	Colombia	1
111)	La familia rodante (2004)	Trapero	Argentina	1
111)	Perro come perro (2008)	Moreno	Colombia	1
111)	Memorias del saqueo (2004)	Solanas	Argentina	1
111)	Aquí se construye (ya no existe el lugar donde nací) (2000)	Agüero	Chile	1
111)	La zona (2007)	Plá	Mexico	1
111)	El camino de San Diego (2006)	Sorín	Argentina	1

NOMINATIONS PER COUNTRY
Argentina, 37
Brazil, 30
Mexico, 21
Chile, 8
Colombia, 6
Uruguay, 5
Cuba, 4
Peru, 3
Bolivia, 2
Ecuador, 1
Nicaragua, 1
Paraguay, 1
Puerto Rico, 1
Venezuela, 1

SURVEY PARTICIPANTS (in alphabetical order)

Inés Aslán – Communications Officer, El Museo del Barrio
Graciela Berger Wegsman – Playwright / Journalist, New York Daily News, Hora Hispana
Rodrigo Brandão – Director of Publicity, Kino International
Fabiano Canosa – Film programmer
Jerry W. Carlson – Film professor, The City College & Graduate Center CUNY
Rebeca Conget – VP Acquisitions and Distribution, Film Movement
Gerard Dapena – Scholar of Hispanic cinemas and visual culture
Christian Del Moral - Film blogger, CineLatinoNY
Mario Díaz – Filmmaker / Film blogger
Howard Feinstein – Film critic, Screen / Programmer, Panorama and Sarajevo Film Festival
Cristina Garza – International Sales and Distribution, FiGa Films
Marcela Goglio – Programmer, Latinbeat (Film Society of Lincoln Center)
Pablo Goldbarg – Filmmaker / Writer, Remezcla, Cinema Tropical
Javier Guerrero – Director, 100% Venezuela (NYU Venezuelan Film Festival)
Carlos A. Gutiérrez – Co-Founding Director, Cinema Tropical
Jytte Jensen – Curator, MoMA Department of Film
Peter Lucas – Professor, Department of Photography and Imaging and Open Arts at the Tisch School of Arts at New York University
Yehudit Mam – Filmmaker / Blogger, The Grande Enchilada
Mary Jane Marcasiano – Special Events Advisor, Cinema Tropical / Programmer
Alberto Medina – Author / Associate professor, Columbia University
Micki Mihich – Film critic and columnist, On & Off, Sci-Fi News, Starlog, Wizard
Lucila Moctezuma – Coordinator, Tribeca Latin America Media Arts Fund (Tribeca Film Institute)
Nuria Net - Editor-in-Chief, Co-Founder, Remezcla.com
Louis Perego Moreno – Executive Producer, Skyline Features
Carmen Oquendo – Researcher and film curator, NYU
Jack Rico – Editor-in-Chief, ShowBizCafe.com
Jerónimo Rodríguez – Film critic/Host, Toma 1 (NY1 Noticias)
Paul Julian Smith – Author, The Cinema of Pedro Almodóvar and Amores Perros
Roselly Torres – Distribution & Marketing Director, Third World Newsreel
Diana Vargas – Programmer, Havana Film Festival (NY) and Corto Circuito
Mónica Wagenberg – Co-Founding Director, Cinema Tropical
Naief Yehya – Film critic, La Jornada, Milenio / Author, The Transformed Body, War and Propaganda