The only movie theater in Antarctica, "Espacio INCAA Latitud 90˚" will be enhanced after having reopened its doors last year. The cinema, inaugurated in 2005, was closed in 2018, reopened last year and will be further refurbish as a result of a joint effort by the Ministries of Culture, Foreign Affairs and Defense along with the National Institute for Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA).
In the framework of the 15th International Mountain Film Festival of Ushuaia (FICMUS) and via videoconference held on August 21st between Buenos Aires, Antarctica and Ushuaia, Secretary for Malvinas, Antarctica and South Atlantic of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Daniel Filmus together with the President of INCAA, Luis Puenzo, announced that the Bicentennial Hall will be re-equipped and restored.
"It is very important to bring culture and cinema to these Antarctic latitudes where Argentina has maintained an uninterrupted presence for 117 years," said Filmus, who underscored the support of the national government for the "significant research tasks that our scientists carry out in Antarctica, something that makes us feel proud because it has to do with sovereignty, but also with the future of the country and of humanity”.
"We have been working with the idea of a Bicontinental Argentina, a cultural change to reaffirm the notion that our territory extends from La Quiaca to the South Pole and we can do so thanks to the presence on the white continent," said the Secretary.
For his part, Puenzo considered that “it is a source for pride that we have an INCAA space in those latitudes and that they are part of the Festival; we are pleased to confirm that we already have the highest quality equipment that will replace the current one, we expect it to be up and running with INCAA programming by October" he added. "We will be able to program on demand, in addition to the usual programming, you can request what you want to see, so we can accompany you throughout your annual campaign at the station. It is very exciting to be here sharing this activity” he added.
In the southernmost cinema in the country, films are shown for the entertainment of scientific, technical and military personnel who winter over at Carlini Station, located about 3,700 kilometers from Buenos Aires and 1,200 from Ushuaia.
The program of the new edition of FICMUS includes Argentine Antarctic film productions shot during the 20th century. It provides for the screening of “Nunatak Pantera” (2021), a documentary short film about the first Argentine technical climbing in Antarctica; “Silencio Blanco” (1959-60), a documentary dedicated to the campaign of the Icebreaker ARA Gral. San Martín and a series of advertisements shot at the Brown Station (1970); all productions that are part of our memory recovered by the Argentine Antarctic Institute (IAA) and the Film Museum of Buenos Aires. Later, these and other films from the international competition will be available on the websites of both institutions.
The event also had the participation of the Director of the Argentine Antarctic Institute, Walter Mac Cormack; the National Director of the Antarctic, Patricia Ortúzar; Carlini Station leader, Major Fernando Sosa; and the Director of the "Pablo Ducrós Hicken" Film Museum, Paula Félix Didier.
As in all Argentine Antarctic stations, the facility follows a strict protocol that is applied to keep Argentine Antarctica free from Covid 19 since the beginning of the pandemic.
