Once upon a time in Latin America: An interview with Lorenzo Codelli

Abstract

In this interview, which was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in early March 2021, Lorenzo Codelli reflects on Latin American cinema and its underlying aesthetics, as well as on the global influence of Italian cinema, in particular neorealism, on filmmakers such as Ruy Guerra, Fernando Solanas and Alfonso Cuarón, among others. In recent years, the Latin American film industry has produced commercially successful films, such as Cuarón’s Roma (2018), but few movies receive international distribution in particular if directed by women. For example, Melina Léon’s Cancion sin nombre (Song Without a Name) (2019), which premiered at Cannes’ Directors’ Fornight and has won many awards, is a case in point. Of special interest is Codelli’s point of view on the status of contemporary national cinemas and the impact of popular television series on its very survival.