Alejandro Agresti, Honorary Biznaga at the 28th edition of the Malaga Festival

The Argentine director, screenwriter and producer Alejandro Agresti has been honored with the Biznaga de Honor of the Malaga Festival in recognition of a committed and prolific cinematographic career.

Agresti has received the honorary Biznaga that the Malaga Festival awards to prominent figures in recognition of their career and contribution to audiovisuals. The director has collected the award from the hands of Juan Antonio Vigar, director of the Malaga Festival, in an event held at the Echegaray Theater.

During the presentation, Vigar highlighted the relevance of the filmmaker in international cinematography: "Alejandro Agresti is a director who has crossed several genres with undoubted talent and great importance within his filmography. He is a reference figure in Argentine and international cinema, and his work places Alejandro at the maximum point of interest for film lovers," he stated.

For his part, the producer of his latest film, Fernando Sokolowicz, highlighted Agresti's role as a screenwriter: “In addition to being an exceptional director, he is also an extraordinary one.”

Visibly moved, Agresti expressed his gratitude and surprise at the reception in Malaga: "I am very excited to be here and receive this recognition. I had never been to Malaga and I have found a wonderful city and beautiful people."

Art, social commitment and a human perspective

Agresti, born in Buenos Aires in 1961, has directed some of the most prominent figures in international cinema, such as Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, John Cusack, Giancarlo Giannini, Cecilia Roth and Carmen Maura. Throughout his career he has combined productions in Argentina, Europe and Hollywood, establishing himself as one of the most relevant voices in contemporary cinema.

Since his debut in 1984 with The man who won reason, his cinema has been honored at prestigious festivals such as Berlin, Cannes and San Sebastián. In 1996, his film Buenos Aires Vice Versa, about the children of missing people, marked a milestone in Argentine cinema and earned him several international awards. In 2006, Agresti directed The Lake House, produced by Warner Bros and starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, becoming the first Argentine director hired by a major Hollywood studio.

Within the framework of the festival, Agresti has also presented his new film, What we wanted to be, his first work in almost nine years. Starring Luis Rubio and Eleonora Wexler, the story follows a man and a woman who, after meeting outside a cinema, build a fantasy universe in which they become who they always wanted to be: a writer and an astronaut. United by their love of cinema, the protagonists defy reality to live their dreams, although the difficulties of the real world threaten to separate them.

Regarding the film, Agresti pointed out that it is a film “about the need to dream, but also about the importance of sharing those dreams.” Regarding the process of creating the script, the director has stated that he wanted to delve into the exploration of how love “can be that refuge where people find the strength to be who they want to be.”

The film, which has been presented in the Official Section Out of Competition, has garnered international recognition, including the Best Film award at the 2nd UBA International Film Festival (FIC.UBA). With this distinction and the premiere of his new film, which will hit theaters on April 16, the Malaga Festival celebrates the career of a filmmaker who has known how to combine art, social commitment and a human perspective in each of his stories.