| Fuckland | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | José Luis Márques |
| Written by | José Luis Márques |
| Produced by | Edi Flehner Mariano Suez Juan Andrés |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography |
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| Edited by | Pipo Bonamino |
| Music by | Sergio Figueroa |
Release date |
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Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | Argentina |
| Languages |
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| Budget | $400,000[1] |
Fuckland is a 2000 Argentineblackcomedy-dramafilm written and directed by José Luis Márques. The picture was executive produced byDiego Dubcovsky, and produced by Edi Flehner and Mariano Suez.[2] The film's plot follows an Argentinian man who travels to theFalkland Islands to impregnate a Native woman in order to demonstrate how to populate the islands with people of his nationality's descent.[3]
The film was shot ondigital video and is the firstLatin American film to follow theavant gardeDogme 95 movement minimalist guidelines.
The film takes place decades after theFalklands War between Argentina and theUnited Kingdom for the control of theFalkland Islands in the SouthAtlantic Ocean. It tells of Fabián Stratas, amagician andstand-up comedian fromBuenos Aires, who saves his money from weddings, birthdays, and bar mitzvahs, and uses a hidden camera to document a week-long trip to the Falkland Islands, which he calls "Fuckland". He plans to impregnate an islander, reasoning that if only 500 Argentines did the same each year, the islands would soon be overrun with half-Argentines, and he would be the head of a "sexual invasion."
He sets his eyes on Camilla Heaney, whom he first saw in church. He has initial success, having sex with Camilla twice, first in his hotel room and then on the beach. He manages to impregnate her before leaving for Buenos Aires, cocky and happy for having achieved his goal and duped his lover. However, Heaney gets the last word, making a videotape on Fabian's camera where she denounces him as shallow, condescending, and self-centered. After this, the camera shows Stratas, unfazed by Camilla's anger, taking a shower while singing theCharly García cover of theArgentine National Anthem.
The picture was recorded illegally in theFalkland Islands in 1999 and was made without the permission of the local government. It features only seven professional actors. They improvised their scenes with local residents, who were unaware that they were taking part in the production of a feature film. Heaney was not told of Stratas' motivations for their romance before their scenes were shot.[4]
The picture broke some of theDogme 95 guidelines, including the use of non-diegetic music, digital video, and a directorial credit.[citation needed] It was filmed using aSony DCR-TRV900.[5]
The film was filmed on location inPort Stanley in theFalkland Islands.
The producers used the tagline "a clandestine movie" (Spanish:una película clandestina) to market the film.[6] The film opened in Argentina on 21 September 2000. It was presented at various film festivals, including theLondon Film Festival, theMelbourne International Film Festival, and theSundance Film Festival.
Critics disliked the film. Some[who?] called it subversive and libelous, while others like Christopher Null thought it boring. Null wrote: "While a few of our hero's 'smooth moves' are mildly entertaining, most of the film is filled with the monotony of his daily rituals. He does a few magic tricks, gets a haircut, brushes his teeth, takes a piss. Some of this is in focus.Fuckland indeed."[7]
Amy Taubin of theVillage Voice wrote: "Fuckland is less interesting for its adherence to the Dogme rules than as a failed attempt at director José Luis Márques's project of 'Real Fiction Filmmaking'...Unfortunately, the fictional premise ofFuckland is so absurd, it doomed the enterprise from the start."[8]