The Eternaut

This time, I’m not writing about one of my films in production or reflecting on the creative process behind a documentary. I want to take a moment to highlight a cultural event that deserves our attention: the new screen adaptation of El Eternauta.

An Argentine Story, Told Without Apology

El Eternauta signals something new for Argentine cinema. For the first time, we are seeing a production that stands on its own without imitating the tropes of international (especially American) storytelling. It’s not about achieving universality through abstraction—it’s about being unapologetically Argentine, and in doing so, achieving something truly universal.

Beyond the Oscars

Argentina has won two Academy Awards for Best Foreign Film—La Tregua and The Official Story. And while those recognitions brought attention to our cinema, they felt, in hindsight, like politically convenient choices by the Academy. Those films were rewarded more for their context than their craft.

With El Eternauta, we are witnessing a story that doesn’t need the backdrop of global politics to be relevant. It earns its recognition with artistic integrity and bold direction.

The Eternaut: Why It Matters Now

This story of snowfall, survival, and resistance isn’t just science fiction—it’s an allegory that speaks to Argentina’s own history of repression, collective trauma, and endurance. The series doesn’t wallow in nostalgia. Instead, it meets the present moment with defiance and creative clarity.

American Release | Poster of The Eternal

Bruno Stagnaro with Ricardo Darín during the filming of 'El Eternauta'. Foto: COURTESY NETFLIX

Conclusion

El Eternauta may very well be the moment Argentine cinema has been building toward for decades: a mature, locally grounded, and globally resonant work that doesn’t have to explain itself. It just is. And that, finally, is enough.