The origins of cinema in Mar del Plata: from the amusement fair to the first local film

Mar del Plata has a past that is closely linked to the history of cinema. Vacations by the sea are an English invention, a custom that came to Argentina at the end of the 19th century by the hand of the national aristocracy that frequented Europe at the time. This made the then nascent Mar del Plata the chosen place for these families to summer, but these tourists also wanted to enjoy the fashion and the novelties that were evident in other latitudes. And so, at the beginning of 1900, Cinema arrived on these shores, an invention that would forever change the culture of the world. Immediately, some Mar del Plata theaters that presented variety shows incorporated projections of “vistas”as the silent shorts that reproduced real-life actions were called at that time. Shortly after, the first scripted films appeared, and along with them, the primitive theaters exclusively intended for the projection of films. It is at this time that a pioneering figure in local cinematography, Mateo Bonnin, also emerged. An immigrant from the Balearic Islands and a professional photographer, he opened an important photography studio in 1905 and a projection room,“Bar Cinematógrafo Bonnin”, in 1906. Years later, this Mallorcan immigrant became the first filmmaker on these shores, producing and directing the feature film Agradable despertar, a completely local production released on August 10, 1924. Its centenary coincides with the 150th anniversary of the city, the 70th anniversary of the International Film Festival and with a renewed spirit of recovery and appreciation of the important historical audiovisual heritage of Mar del Plata.

With Miguel Monforte (filmmaker, teacher and audiovisual researcher). Moderated by: María José Majo Garufi