The influence of Argentinian acting schools in Spain from the 1980s

Abstract

This chapter analyses the legacy of Argentinean performers and acting schools in contemporary Spanish cinema. It begins by studying how different waves of migration between Spain and Argentina resulted in rich collaborations, both in terms of industry and familial bonds (which favoured the appearance and continuation of families of actors such as the Alterios and Diosdados). The arrival of these Argentinean actors and actresses during the Transition to democracy contributed to the disappearance of traditional acting styles in Spanish cinema and promoted innovative modes and methods of performance. Thus, this chapter shows that the generation led by Cecilia Roth provided Spanish cinema with new ways of representing the body and performing femininity and sexual freedom, in films as influential as Iván Zulueta's Arrebato/Rapture (1979). The chapter concludes with a discussion on how the proliferation of Argentinean schools of acting, such as those of Cristina Rota and Juan Carlos Corazza, has contributed greatly to the success of recent generations of actors such as Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem.