International reporter
Why is Argentina's economy such a mess?
According to veteran producer Axel Kuschevatzky, the sweeping economic changes implemented by Argentina's far-right leader Javier Milei are not the only reason the Latin American country's film industry is struggling.
Kuschevatzky, best known for his internationally successful Argentine projects such as Argentina, 1985 and The Secret in Their Eyes, spoke to us at Iberseries & Platino Industria in Madrid, where the Argentine industry is a hot topic.
Argentina’s film sector, traditionally known as one of the most mature and prosperous in Latin America, has been in freefall since March when the government of Milei, the country’s far-right leader, pushed through highly controversial plans to cut all state funding to the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA), the country’s national film body. At the same time, Argentina’s economy, the second largest in South America, has been in a semi-permanent state of crisis since 2018. The country’s economic woes have worsened over the past year, with inflation at record highs and more than 40% of Argentines now living in poverty.
