Luis Puenzo

"Puenzo" redirects here. For his daughter, an Argentine author, screenwriter and film director, see Lucía Puenzo.
Luis Puenzo
Puenzo in 2016
Born(1946-02-19)19 February 1946
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died21 April 2026(2026-04-21) (aged 80)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
OccupationsFilm director, producer, screenwriter

Luis Adalberto Puenzo (19 February 1946 – 21 April 2026) was an Argentine film director, producer and screenwriter. He worked mainly in the cinema of Argentina, but also worked in the United States.

Life and career

Puenzo was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 19 February 1946. He began a successful career in 1965 producing television advertising spots in Argentina. He founded Luis Puenzo Cinema, a production company, with Sergio Tamburri (film editor and trombone player of the famous Porteña Jazz Band); the firm's name was changed to Cinemanía S.A. in 1974.[1]

During the Civic-military dictatorship of Argentina in the mid 1970s and early 1980s many filmmakers became victims of repression and some went into exile; some disappeared. During this difficult time, Puenzo decided to work in advertising.[2]

In the United States he is known for his film Old Gringo (1989), starring Gregory Peck, Jane Fonda and Jimmy Smits.

His film The Official Story (1985) won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film and many other accolades.[3]

He was the president of the INCAA under the presidency of Alberto Fernández.

Puenzo died in Buenos Aires on 21 April 2026, at the age of 80.[4] He was the father of screenwriter and film director Lucía Puenzo.

Observations

The Official Story, arguably Puenzo's best work, has been lauded by film critics and scholars for bringing to the screen a story that "[is] an excellent point of departure to explore some of Argentina and Latin America's most salient problems today. As the film deals with its various themes, it shows their impact on individuals in a very personal way, thus making them more immediate." Today, Puenzo's film has become "a staple in many Latin American culture courses throughout the U.S. and Europe, keeping its relevance intact even though it is now well into its second decade."[5][6]

According to Sandra Brennan most of his films "offer probing, metaphorical portraits of characters and relationships in the face of larger sociopolitical issues."[7]

Filmography

  • Luces de mis zapatos (1973)
  • Las Sorpresas (1975), segment "Cinco años de vida"
  • La Historia oficial (1985), aka The Official Story
  • Old Gringo (1989)
  • With Open Arms (1990)
  • La Peste (1992), The Plague (USA). Based on Albert Camus' novel of the same name.
  • Broken Silence (2002), Mini-TV Series, segment "Some Who Lived."
  • La Puta y la Ballena (2004), The Whore and the Whale

Awards for The Official Story

Wins

Nominations

References

  1. ^ ABC Guionistas: Reconocimiento a Luis Puenzo en Tandil Cine (in Spanish)
  2. ^ Aufderheide, Patricia Archived 2007-02-05 at the Wayback Machine. Cross-Cultural Film Guide, The American University, 1992.
  3. ^ "The 58th Academy Awards (1986) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  4. ^ "Luis Puenzo, director of Argentina's first Oscar-winning feature, dies at 80". Buenos Aires Times. 21 April 2026.
  5. ^ Blommers, Thomas J. "Social and Cultural Circularity in La historia oficial," California State University-Bakersfield.
  6. ^ Cinergía Archived 2006-12-09 at the Wayback Machine movie file by Cristina Molano-Wendt, Amy Bianchi, Shannon Tierny, and Brian Sabella. For educational purposes.
  7. ^ Brennan, Sandra. Allmovie, biography.
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