Waiting for the Messiah
Encyclopedia
Waiting for the Messiah is a 2000 Argentine
, Spanish
, and Italian
comedy drama film
directed by Daniel Burman
. The film features Daniel Hendler
, Enrique Piñeyro
, Héctor Alterio, Melina Petriella
, Stefania Sandrelli
, Imanol Arias
and Dolores Fonzi
, among others.
The film won many awards including Best Film at the Lleida Latin-American Film Festival
in Spain
. The film takes place in a Jewish community of Buenos Aires.
), a restaurant waiter and a young man who is torn between his devotion to traditional family ties and the desire for something different, and, of Santamaria (Enrique Piñeyro
) an older bank employee who suddenly finds his life in complete turmoil.
Santamaria is unexpectedly fired from his bank job due to the world's stock market shocks. His wife takes this event as an opportunity to get rid of him and put him out on the street. Forced to make a small living returning stolen wallets, Santamaria finds some hope in a bathroom attendant (Stefania Sandrelli
) who is waiting for her husband to be released from prison.
Ariel is very much against the restraints of a future that will see him take over his elderly father's (Héctor Alterio) restaurant and marry an Argentine Jewish girl (Melina Petriella
). At the same time, Ariel is also attracted to a sexy co-worker, Laura (Chiara Caselli), who tells him she's a lesbian.
"; in this case, characters are shown at first to be inactive and dormant, until death and crisis forces them to take action and reevaluate their lives.
The picture was then presented at the Toronto Film Festival on September 14, 2000, and later at the Palm Springs International Film Festival
on January 12, 2001.
Nominations
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
comedy drama film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Daniel Burman
Daniel Burman
Daniel Burman is a film director, screenplay writer, and producer.According to film critic Joel Poblete, who writes for Mabuse, a cinema magazine, Daniel Burman is one of the members of the so-called "New Argentina Cinema" which began c...
. The film features Daniel Hendler
Daniel Hendler
Daniel Hendler is an Uruguayan film, television, and theatre actor who works mainly in the cinema of Argentina, where he lives. He is known for his starring roles in films such as Bottom of the Sea, Family Law, The Paranoids, Phase 7, and award winning Lost Embrace by director Daniel Burman, with...
, Enrique Piñeyro
Enrique Piñeyro (actor)
Enrique Piñeyro is a pilot turned film actor, producer, crash analyst, aeronautical physician, film director, and screenplay writer, working partly in Argentina. Piñeyro and Verónica Cura own Aqua Films, a film production company in Argentina.- Biography :Piñeyro was born in Genoa, Italy, 1956...
, Héctor Alterio, Melina Petriella
Melina Petriella
Melina Petriella is an Argentine movie and television actress.-Filmography:* Besos en la frente * Esperando al Mesías aka Waiting for the Messiah* Nocturno * El Abrazo partido aka Lost Embrace...
, Stefania Sandrelli
Stefania Sandrelli
Stefania Sandrelli is an Italian actress, famous for her many roles in the commedia all'Italiana, starting from 1960s. She was 15 years old when she starred in Divorce, Italian Style, as Marcello Mastroianni's cousin, Angela.She was born in Viareggio, Tuscany. She had a long relationship with...
, Imanol Arias
Imanol Arias
Imanol Arias born Manuel María Arias Domínguez , is a Spanish actor and one off film director.Imanol Arias began his career with a travelling theatre group in Spain performing in the Basque Country of northern Spain. He debuted on TV in 1976 and his first film was in "Cecilia " of 'Humberto Solas'...
and Dolores Fonzi
Dolores Fonzi
Dolores Fonzi is an Argentine TV and film actress active since 1997.Several of her films have received critical acclaim such as Plata quemada , Esperando al mesías , El Fondo del mar and El Aura . Her brother, Tomás Fonzi is also an actor in the Cinema of Argentina...
, among others.
The film won many awards including Best Film at the Lleida Latin-American Film Festival
Lleida Latin-American Film Festival
The Lleida Latin-American Film Festival is a cinema festival that takes place in Lleida, Spain awarding Latin American films. It is organised by the Latin American Centre of Lleida and is sponsored by the city council , the University of Lleida and La Caixa...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The film takes place in a Jewish community of Buenos Aires.
Plot
The picture tells of Ariel (Daniel HendlerDaniel Hendler
Daniel Hendler is an Uruguayan film, television, and theatre actor who works mainly in the cinema of Argentina, where he lives. He is known for his starring roles in films such as Bottom of the Sea, Family Law, The Paranoids, Phase 7, and award winning Lost Embrace by director Daniel Burman, with...
), a restaurant waiter and a young man who is torn between his devotion to traditional family ties and the desire for something different, and, of Santamaria (Enrique Piñeyro
Enrique Piñeyro (actor)
Enrique Piñeyro is a pilot turned film actor, producer, crash analyst, aeronautical physician, film director, and screenplay writer, working partly in Argentina. Piñeyro and Verónica Cura own Aqua Films, a film production company in Argentina.- Biography :Piñeyro was born in Genoa, Italy, 1956...
) an older bank employee who suddenly finds his life in complete turmoil.
Santamaria is unexpectedly fired from his bank job due to the world's stock market shocks. His wife takes this event as an opportunity to get rid of him and put him out on the street. Forced to make a small living returning stolen wallets, Santamaria finds some hope in a bathroom attendant (Stefania Sandrelli
Stefania Sandrelli
Stefania Sandrelli is an Italian actress, famous for her many roles in the commedia all'Italiana, starting from 1960s. She was 15 years old when she starred in Divorce, Italian Style, as Marcello Mastroianni's cousin, Angela.She was born in Viareggio, Tuscany. She had a long relationship with...
) who is waiting for her husband to be released from prison.
Ariel is very much against the restraints of a future that will see him take over his elderly father's (Héctor Alterio) restaurant and marry an Argentine Jewish girl (Melina Petriella
Melina Petriella
Melina Petriella is an Argentine movie and television actress.-Filmography:* Besos en la frente * Esperando al Mesías aka Waiting for the Messiah* Nocturno * El Abrazo partido aka Lost Embrace...
). At the same time, Ariel is also attracted to a sexy co-worker, Laura (Chiara Caselli), who tells him she's a lesbian.
Cast
- Daniel HendlerDaniel HendlerDaniel Hendler is an Uruguayan film, television, and theatre actor who works mainly in the cinema of Argentina, where he lives. He is known for his starring roles in films such as Bottom of the Sea, Family Law, The Paranoids, Phase 7, and award winning Lost Embrace by director Daniel Burman, with...
as Ariel Goldstein - Enrique PiñeyroEnrique Piñeyro (actor)Enrique Piñeyro is a pilot turned film actor, producer, crash analyst, aeronautical physician, film director, and screenplay writer, working partly in Argentina. Piñeyro and Verónica Cura own Aqua Films, a film production company in Argentina.- Biography :Piñeyro was born in Genoa, Italy, 1956...
as Santamaría - Héctor Alterio as Simón
- Melina PetriellaMelina PetriellaMelina Petriella is an Argentine movie and television actress.-Filmography:* Besos en la frente * Esperando al Mesías aka Waiting for the Messiah* Nocturno * El Abrazo partido aka Lost Embrace...
as Estela - Stefania SandrelliStefania SandrelliStefania Sandrelli is an Italian actress, famous for her many roles in the commedia all'Italiana, starting from 1960s. She was 15 years old when she starred in Divorce, Italian Style, as Marcello Mastroianni's cousin, Angela.She was born in Viareggio, Tuscany. She had a long relationship with...
as Elsa - Chiara Caselli as Laura
- Gabriela Acher as Sara
- Imanol AriasImanol AriasImanol Arias born Manuel María Arias Domínguez , is a Spanish actor and one off film director.Imanol Arias began his career with a travelling theatre group in Spain performing in the Basque Country of northern Spain. He debuted on TV in 1976 and his first film was in "Cecilia " of 'Humberto Solas'...
as Baltasar - Dolores FonziDolores FonziDolores Fonzi is an Argentine TV and film actress active since 1997.Several of her films have received critical acclaim such as Plata quemada , Esperando al mesías , El Fondo del mar and El Aura . Her brother, Tomás Fonzi is also an actor in the Cinema of Argentina...
as Any - Edda Bustamante as Mujer trampa
- Tajma Minoru as Oriental
- Juan José Flores Quispe as Ramón
- Eduardo Wigutow as Moshé Levin
- Beatriz Thibaudin as Anciana
- Sandra Sandrelli as Santa
- Dan Adaszko as Albino 1
- Ariel Adaszko as Albino 2
Background
The title alludes to the Jewish belief of "waiting for the MessiahMessiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
"; in this case, characters are shown at first to be inactive and dormant, until death and crisis forces them to take action and reevaluate their lives.
Distribution
The film opened wide in Argentina on May 25, 2000.The picture was then presented at the Toronto Film Festival on September 14, 2000, and later at the Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. It was started in 1989 and is held annually in January...
on January 12, 2001.
Awards
Wins- Valladolid International Film Festival, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
: Critics Association Award; FIPRESCIFIPRESCIThe International Federation of Film Critics is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world for "the promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests." It was founded in June 1930 in...
Prize: For an honest, both realistic and symbolic depiction of human hopes in Buenos Aires today; 2000. - Havana Film FestivalHavana Film FestivalThe Havana Film Festival is a Cuban festival that focuses on the promotion of Spanish-language filmmakers. It is also known in Spanish as Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de La Habana, and in English as Festival of New Latinamerican Cinema of La Havana.The festival takes place...
: Grand Coral Third Prize; CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
; 2000. - Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent CinemaBuenos Aires International Festival of Independent CinemaThe Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente is an international festival of independent films organized each year in the month of April, in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.The festival is managed by the Ministerio de Cultura del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, it is not...
: Special Award to Enrique Piñeyro for his Acting Performance; ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
; 2000. - Biarritz Film Festival: Audience Award; FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
; 2000. - Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor; Best Music, César Lerner and Marcelo Moguilevsky; 2001.
- Lleida Latin-American Film FestivalLleida Latin-American Film FestivalThe Lleida Latin-American Film Festival is a cinema festival that takes place in Lleida, Spain awarding Latin American films. It is organised by the Latin American Centre of Lleida and is sponsored by the city council , the University of Lleida and La Caixa...
: Best Film; Daniel Burman; 2001.
Nominations
- Bratislava International Film Festival: Grand Prix, Daniel Burman; 2000.
- Thessaloniki Film Festival: Golden Alexander, Daniel Burman; 2000.
- Valladolid International Film Festival: Golden Spike, Daniel Burman; 2000.
- Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor, Best Director, Daniel Burman; Best Film; Best New Actor, Daniel Hendler; Best New Actress, Melina Petriella; Best Original Screenplay, Daniel Burman and Emiliano Torres; Best Supporting Actress, Stefania Sandrelli; 2001.
External links
- Esperando al mesías at the cinenacional.comCinenacional.comCinenacional.com is a web portal and web-based database about Argentine cinema.The site provides a vast array of information, including: films, television programs, directors, actors, cinematographers, film editors, production designers, and other production professions in Argentina...
- Esperando al mesías at La Butaca