A Place in the World

Winner of 40 international awards (none of which, incidentally, were given by me), this Socialism on the Pampas epic from Argentina awkwardly joins a coming-of-age story with social(ist) commentary. In this 1992 effort from Adolfo Aristarain, Gaston Batyi stars as Ernesto, a good-hearted kid who admires his firebrand dad (a teacher and leader of the local collective), is wowed by a visiting geologist working for a ruthless capitalist landowner, and tries to win the heart of an illiterate girl by teaching her to read. Although numerous subplots branch out, the main storyline basically follows Ernesto's father's attempts to convince the local yokels to stick together--an obviously doomed effort when the local papa moneybags starts doling out dough rather than dogma for prime Argentine acreage. A tragic tale? Certainly, but such an obviously tragic one which seems more than a little naïve today. Optional. (R. Pitman)