Remembering objects in the essay film: Andrés di Tella as heir, archaeologist and collector

Although Andrés di Tella is among the leading documentary filmmakers in South America, his work has received scant attention in the Anglophone world. Di Tella’s essayistic films mix personal and intimate perspectives with public and historical concerns, crafting a tentative filmic voice that is articulated on the borders between the public and the private. In his subjective explorations of personal and collective pasts, di Tella calls on material objects to play a vital role. Subjective recollections are accompanied by the constitution of collections of objects, material items that are the remainders from and the keys to the past. Remembering is remembering with and through things and senses of self and identity are forged and questioned in dialogue with constellations of objects. This article examines the interaction between subjects and objects in di Tella’s work with special attention to Fotografías (Photographs, 2007) and Hachazos (Ax Blows, 2011).

Duke Scholars

Author Gustavo PT Furtado Romance Studies