The Swamp

"If we're talking about cinematic debuts, few have been as resounding and acclaimed as that of Argentine director Lucrecia Martel, who, after six short films, premiered her first feature film in 2001, awarded at the Berlin Film Festival. 'La ciénaga' is the first installment of what would eventually (not officially) become the 'Salta Trilogy', which together form a portrait of the decline of the Argentine middle class, within the framework of decades of social and economic crisis in the country. The decrepitude of the buildings, the stagnant water, and the widespread boredom combined with indifference of its characters, constitute symbols of the moral putrefaction of its small pseudo-bourgeoisie. Undoubtedly, one of the masterpieces of Argentine and Latin American cinema of the 21st century."