Director Naishtat on 'Glaxo' and Argentina's Cultural War

Director Benjamín Naishtat's latest film, "Glaxo," set in Argentina but notably shot in Brazil, underscores the dire state of the nation's film industry. Naishtat criticizes the current government, labeling it "fascist" and engaged in an open "war on culture," which he believes is pushing Argentina's esteemed filmmaking tradition into serious danger.

The film, which premiered at Toronto and will be shown at San Sebastián, delves into collective psychology and the impunity of power, echoing themes from Naishtat's previous work, "Rojo." "Glaxo" is structured across three timelines: June 6, 1956, during a military dictatorship; one year later in 1957; and in 1984. These periods explore historical events, betrayal, and the unraveling of adolescent friendships under oppressive circumstances.

Naishtat explains that the decision to film in Brazil was due to "brutal" cuts and freezing of public funding for Argentine cinema, making production within the country impossible. He laments that a new generation of filmmakers is being stifled, contrasting it with the historical strength of Argentine cinema. The director aims for "Glaxo" to provoke questions about Argentina's past and present rather than offering simple answers, reflecting on how and when the country lost its innocence.