It’s hard to believe that it’s now five years since Lucrecia Martel blew us away with “The Headless Woman,” and ever since, we’ve been eagerly awaiting her next feature. While she’s tackled some shorts in the interim, and spent some time trying to mount the sci-fi comic book adaptation “El Eternauta” before it fell apart, the last we heard from Martel was in 2012 when she became attached to “Zama.” And then that was it. But it looks like if things shake out the way they should, Martel will be back behind the camera in 2014 with a powerhouse name in support.
The Buenos Aires Herald reports that “Zama” is aiming to shoot in 2014, and while pre-production is underway, financing still needs to come together. That said, the project has some added lustre thanks to Pedro Almodovar, whose El Deseo production company is behind the movie.
Based on Argentine wriiter Antonio di Benedetto‘s 1956 novel, the story is set in an unnamed Latin American country in 1790, and follows Don Diego de Zama, an official for the Spanish crown on his way to Buenos Aires. Given that set up, it’s probably not a surprise to hear that this will be Martel’s biggest endeavor to date. “I once said that thinking of doing a big-budget movie would be demential, that I feel comfortable in the realm of cinéma d’auteur, but ‘Zama’ is a period piece,” the director stated, with the movie said to be the most by El Deseo ever.
For world cinema fans, this is a bright light of hope and we’re crossing our fingers that the elements come together so “Zama” is rolling soon. Until then, be sure to catch up with Martel’s films if haven’t already, including “The Holy Girl” and “La Cienaga.”
