María Luisa Bemberg

“I knew that if my movies turned out bad, they wouldn't say, ‘What a beast Bemberg is,’ they would say ‘Don't you see that women are not good at making movies?’” Born in 1922, María Luisa Bemberg landed in the film industry at the age of 58 as a director and screenwriter to revolutionize Argentine cinema. With a filmography that put women as the main characters, both in front and behind the camera, she challenged social standards and expectations without fear of critical repercussions. Her style combined social criticism, careful visuals, and bold narratives to question the institutions that enable oppression. By portraying stories of brave women who defy adultery, the church, social classes, and machismo, she transformed the cultural and social speech of the society of her time. Co-founder of the Argentine Feminist Union, her activism was present in all her projects: from El mundo de la mujer (1972) and Juguetes (1978), short films that criticize the construction of what’s feminine, to major movies such as Camila (1984), one of the few Argentine films ever nominated for an Oscar, and I, the Worst of All (1990), that made her one of the most influential Argentine filmmakers. Her legacy lies not only in her artistic impact, but also in having opened doors for new generations of filmmakers who, like her, find in movies a space to question, to make visible, and to create changes.