Lucrecia Martel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lucrecia Martel
Martel at the presentation of the Audioteca at the National Library, 2015
Born	(1966-12-14) December 14, 1966 (age 58) Salta, Argentina
Alma mater	University of Buenos Aires National School of Film Experimentation and Production (ENERC)
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter, producer
Years active	1988–present
Notable work	La ciénaga (2001) The Holy Girl (2004) The Headless Woman (2008) Zama (2017)
Partner(s)	Julieta Laso (2016–present)
Awards	full list

Lucrecia Martel (born December 14, 1966) is a famous film director, writer, and producer from Argentina. Her movies have been shown at major film festivals around the world, like Cannes, Venice, and Berlin. Experts in film often call her one of the most talented directors in modern cinema. Vogue magazine even said in 2018 that she is "one of the greatest directors in the world right now."

Her first feature film, La Ciénaga (The Swamp), came out in 2001. It was about a wealthy family spending summer in a run-down vacation home in Salta, Argentina. The film was highly praised and brought a fresh new voice to Argentine cinema. It was seen as a masterpiece that captured a difficult time in Argentina's history.

Martel's next three feature films also received international praise. These include the teen drama The Holy Girl (2004), the mystery film The Headless Woman (2008), and the historical drama Zama (2017).

Early Life and Interests

Lucrecia Martel was born and grew up in Salta, Argentina. She was the second of seven children. Her father, Ferdi, owned a paint shop, and her mother, Bochi, took care of the family. Her parents met in college before settling in Salta.

In elementary school, Lucrecia's uncle helped her discover a love for mythology and ancient languages like Greek and Latin. In fifth grade, she decided she wanted to go to a special high school called Bachillerato Humanista Moderno. It was the only school in Salta that taught ancient languages. Her parents didn't like the school's strict traditions, but they supported her intellectual curiosity. Lucrecia passed the tough entrance exam and got in.

She felt a bit different at the school because her family was middle class. She said her classmates went there because their families expected it, but she went only to study Greek and Latin. Her mother described her as a "radical and challenging" student who was excellent in science.

The Power of Storytelling

Martel's home was full of storytelling. Her father, mother, and grandmother Nicolasa were all great storytellers. They would tell her and her six siblings many stories to keep them quiet during afternoon naps. Lucrecia was especially amazed by how her grandmother used sounds, tones, and pauses to create a special mood in her scary and fantastical tales.

She says this fascination with how people talk and tell stories inspired her passion for filmmaking. It also influenced how she focuses on sound in her movies.

First Steps in Filmmaking

Lucrecia first used a video camera when she was about 15 or 16 years old. Her father bought it to record family memories. No one else in the family used it, but Lucrecia loved it. She started recording conversations and everyday family life. For a few years, she was always behind the camera, so she doesn't appear in many family videos or photos from that time. She found it fascinating, but she didn't think it would become her future job back then.

When she was 17, she saw the film Camila (1984) in Buenos Aires. It was directed by a woman, María Luisa Bemberg, and produced by Lita Stantic. The film was very successful. Seeing women create such a popular movie made Lucrecia think that filmmaking was a "woman's job." This idea stayed with her for many years.

Education and Film Studies

After high school, Lucrecia wasn't sure what to study. She thought about physics, but then tried art history, chemical engineering, and zoology. She even tried raising and selling pigs for a year, but it wasn't a good business for her.

She then went to Buenos Aires to study advertising. It combined creativity and technical skills, which she liked. But she decided to leave that program and study communication sciences at the University of Buenos Aires. This program was new and had many interesting professors who had returned from exile after a difficult time in Argentina. She learned a lot there, even though she didn't officially get her degree.

Learning About Film

While at the University of Buenos Aires, she also took an animation class at the Film Art Institute of Avellaneda (IDAC). She liked how animation was very technical and precise. At this school, she met other film students and started making short films.

She decided to try to get into Argentina's only state-funded film school, the National School of Film Experimentation and Production (ENERC). Over 1,000 people applied for only 30 spots, so she studied for months for the entrance exam. She got in, but then the school closed due to money problems.

Even without classes, Lucrecia kept learning on her own. She watched films like Pink Floyd: The Wall many times to understand how they were edited. She also helped friends with their short films, doing production or photography. She often says she is self-taught because of this experience.

Filmmaking Career

Early Short Films and TV Work

While studying, Lucrecia directed animated short films like El 56 (1988) and Piso 24 (1989). As a film student, she also directed No te la llevarás, maldito (1989) and La otra (The Other, 1990). Her short film Besos rojos (Red Kisses, 1991) was based on a real police case.

Just when she thought a film career might be impossible, she won a script competition. The prize was money to make a short film. This led to her breakthrough film, Rey muerto (Dead King, 1995). It won Best Short Film at the 1995 Havana Film Festival.

Thanks to Rey muerto, Martel started getting jobs in television. From 1995 to 1999, she directed Magazine For Fai, a unique children's show with child actors in sketch comedies. She also made two TV documentaries: Encarnación Ezcurra (1998) and Las dependencias (The Outbuildings, 1999).

The Salta Trilogy

In 1999, Lucrecia's script for her first feature film, La Ciénaga, won an award from the Sundance Institute. This award helps new filmmakers. Even though the judges suggested she change the script, she kept it as it was. To find child actors for the film, she held 2,400 auditions!

In 2001, Martel was chosen for a special program at the Cannes Film Festival. She lived in Paris for over four months, working with film experts to develop her second film, The Holy Girl, which came out in 2004.

Her first three feature films—La Ciénaga, The Holy Girl, and The Headless Woman—are often called her "Salta trilogy." All three were written and filmed in Salta, her home province. They often show how unexpected events change family life and how characters react to challenges.

Lucrecia Martel giving a Masterclass at the 33rd Mar del Plata International Film Festival

Many film scholars have studied Martel's work. They often write about how her films explore ideas of gender, social class, and national identity.

Later Works and Projects

In 2008, there were reports that Martel would direct a film based on The Eternaut, a popular Argentine science fiction comic. It was about an alien invasion. She worked on the idea, but the project was eventually stopped because of different ideas with the producer.

Her 2010 short film Nueva Agirópolis (New Argirópolis) was about how indigenous people resisted the Argentine state. It also showed how cultures can mix. The film was part of a larger collection called 25 miradas, 200 minutos (25 Looks, 200 Minutes).

In 2011, Martel directed the short film Muta (Mutate) for the fashion company Miu Miu. It was part of their "Women's Tales" film series, which features short films by famous female directors. The film showed a luxury ghost ship with mysterious female creatures.

Her 2015 short film Leguas (Leagues) looked at how education can sometimes exclude indigenous communities in Argentina. The film was part of a documentary called El aula vacía (The Empty Classroom), which explored why many Latin American students don't finish high school.

Recent Career Highlights

Martel's fourth feature film, Zama, premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2017. It was based on a 1956 novel and told the story of a Spanish official waiting to return home. The film was made with help from eight different countries and received great reviews from critics.

Zama was chosen to represent Argentina for the Oscars and was nominated for a Goya Award.

In 2018, Martel was a filmmaker-in-residence at the University of Cambridge. She taught seminars about her filmmaking style. That same year, Marvel Studios asked her to direct Black Widow, but she turned it down. She wanted to be able to direct her own action scenes, which wasn't possible for that project.

In 2019, Martel directed the Icelandic singer Björk in her theatrical concert production called Cornucopia in New York.

Personal Life

Lucrecia Martel has mentioned María Luisa Bemberg, Ingmar Bergman, and Pedro Almodóvar as filmmakers who influenced her work.

She was a member of the jury for the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, helping to choose the winning films.

In 2016, while she was editing Zama, Martel was diagnosed with an illness. This caused a delay in finishing the film, but she said it also helped her push to complete it. By late 2016, she was in remission.

As of 2018, she lives in the Villa Crespo neighborhood of Buenos Aires.

Filmography

Shorts

Features

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Television

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Lucrecia Martel para niños

• List of female film and television directors