Aída Bortnik facts for kids
Aída Bortnik was a famous Argentine writer for movies. She was born on January 7, 1938, and passed away on April 27, 2013. She wrote stories for many films, also known as screenplays. One of her movies, La historia oficial (1985), was even nominated for an Academy Award. This is a very important award in the film world.
Aída Bortnik holds a special record. She wrote the screenplay for the first Argentine movie ever nominated for an Academy Award. This was The Truce in 1974. She also wrote the screenplay for the first Argentine movie to win an Academy Award. That film was La historia oficial.
Aída Bortnik's Film Career
Early Work in Film
Aída Bortnik began her career writing for television in 1971. Soon after, she started writing for movies. In 1974, she worked with new director Sergio Renán. They wrote the screenplay for The Truce. This movie was based on a book by Mario Benedetti.
The Truce made history. It was the first Argentine film nominated for an Academy Award. This was for the Best Foreign Language Film in 1975. However, it did not win, losing to a film by Federico Fellini. That same year, Bortnik also wrote Una mujer.
After a short break, Bortnik worked with Sergio Renán again in 1977. They wrote the screenplay for Crecer de golpe. Later, in 1979, she co-wrote La isla with director Alejandro Doria.
Winning an Academy Award
In 1985, Aída Bortnik worked with writer-director Luis Puenzo. They wrote a powerful movie about a difficult time in Argentina's history. This period was known as the Dirty War. The film, La historia oficial, showed the world the serious problems that happened during that time.
This movie won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1986. It was a huge achievement for Argentine cinema. Bortnik and Puenzo were also nominated for "Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen." This was a great honor for their writing. In the same year, she also co-wrote Pobre mariposa.
In 1989, Bortnik helped Puenzo write another screenplay. This was for the book Old Gringo by Carlos Fuentes. This movie was made in the United States. It was the only time Bortnik worked on a film outside of Argentina.
Later Projects
During the 1990s, Bortnik worked closely with a new director, Marcelo Piñeyro. He had helped produce La historia oficial. Bortnik helped Piñeyro write screenplays for several films. These included Tango feroz: la leyenda de Tanguito (1993), Caballos salvajes (1995), and Cenizas del Paraíso (1997). These three films are sometimes seen as a connected series.
She also worked with Sergio Renán again in 2002. They co-wrote La soledad era esto. Her last work was writing for the TV series Vientos de agua in 2006.
