All climates. All landscapes. Many Argentines proudly repeat those words, which have some reason. From Jujuy to Tierra del Fuego, the country offers an incredible variety, which it has always been attractive not only for international tourism but also for film productions.
The delivery of the Oscars, which will take place this Sunday It is a good excuse to review some Hollywood movies that chose these lands as a location to tell their stories. Some are well known by the public and others will surprise you.
1- The Mission
It is one of the most famous Hollywood movies that was filmed in Argentina. What’s more, when talking about that production, many say as a reference: “The one that was made in the Falls”. The film directed by Roland Joffé and starring Robert De Niro not only shot in Missions but also in part of the state of Paraná in Brazil. The mind-bending photography earned him an Oscar in 1986; the story set against the backdrop of the Treaty of Madrid (1750) won the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
2- Seven years in Tibet
Location choices always bring surprises. And that was the case with this movie. Initially, it was going to film in India but it was suspended due to political issues in that country. Producer Richard Goodwin recalled a trip to Mendoza and proposed Aconcagua as the location. The film crew, starring Brad Pittsettled on the outskirts of uspallata, about 100 kilometers from the Mendoza capital. With a little imagination the Mendoza landscape could be Tibet, thought the manager. The film, based on the experiences of an Austrian mountaineer in Tibet, it was also filmed in a train station in La Plata.
3- X-Men: First Generation
The fifth installment of the mutant franchise, which premiered in 2011, has Argentine landscapes… and a huge production error. In a sequence, full of mountains, a sign appears indicating: “Villa Gesell”. Obviously, the seaside resort has no mountains and the scene was shot in Villa La Angostura. A detail that, of course, did not go unnoticed by Argentine viewers. It was also recorded on location in Russia and the United States.
4-Focus
“I love Buenos Aires, its meat, its music…”, Will Smith often says. In this film, in which he plays a master con man, he indulged in shooting in the city where he loves to be a tourist. It is easy to identify the locations of the film: the Círculo Militar de Retiro, Recoleta, San Telmo and a classic: Caminito in the La Boca neighborhood.
5- The reborn
Where can you shoot a movie that requires snowy sets? The answer is obvious for Hollywood: Canada. But in this movie starring Leo DiCaprio there was a problem. After a year of filming in that country, the snow ran out and new locations had to be found. This is how they chose the outskirts of the city of Ushuaia for the final scenes. The incredible beauty of the Fuegian Andes served as the framework for this story narrated in a harsh winter.
