Argentine filmmaker Néstor Frenkel’s notable documentary Construcción de una ciudad tells the story of Federación, a small town in the province of Entre Ríos that was demolished and flooded in the late seventies and its inhabitants were compulsively moved to a new town (the new Federación) because of the construction of the Salto Grande dam. Today, almost 30 years later, Federación is visited by plenty of tourists because of the underground thermal waters discovered during the nineties. In fact, it would be more precise to say that the documentary focuses on the stories of the townspeople of Federación and their relationship with the old and the new Federación. On the one hand, some inhabitants still remember the old Federación with deep nostalgia, and although they have settled in the new town, they still have a hard time trying to let the past go. On the other hand, some of them have adjusted to the change and find in the new city what they once had: a sense of belonging to a friendly, affable community.
Frenkel shows a remarkable
talent for getting precious testimonies from the townspeople in a very candid
manner. There’s no trace of solemnity to be found here. Instead, the persons
interviewed humorously give their points of view in a lightweight way that makes
it all the more engaging. In addition, Frenkel deliberately avoids resorting to
picturesque images, and instead, goes for a more authentic, immediate register. But
the humor is not only to be found in the testimonies, but in the entire film
alongside a sense of melancholy. Humor and melancholy make a wondrous
combination, but what’s most impressing is how Frenkel switches back and forth
between the two poles in a way you can’t even notice when humor gave way to
melancholy, and vice versa. The story of the city of Federación can be
seen as a metaphor for a country where cities and town do remain, despite floods
and demolitions, but its inhabitants don’t. A town can be rebuilt, as it’s
the case here, but in the process there are unavoidable losses that leave deep
marks in the community at large.
Extremely well crafted, with a solid narrative, and a remarkable sense of dramatic progression, Construcción de una ciudad is a film that not only fulfills its premises, but also shows the firm hand of an auteur within the realm of documentary making. Not to be missed.
Script and direction: Néstor Frenkel
Production: Sofía Mora
Camera and cinematography: Diego Poleri
Music: Javier Ntaca
Sound: Javier Farina
Editing: Néstor Frenkel