Leandro Listorti
Argentina
Overview
Driven by an obsession to collect materials without any clear aim, Leandro Listorti films his work, letting time decide the purpose of his images, hoping that they will come to life in a future project. The Argentinian filmmaker describes his transition from fiction to documentary film, searching for authenticity and creative freedom.
In Herbaria (2022), he mixes his love of plants with his profession as an archivist and filmmaker, crystallising his unique vision of cinema. His innovative approach challenges narrative and temporal conventions, turning uncertainty into an evocative art form. The interview illustrates this process in detail, emphasising his ability to convert disparate parts into a poetic and meaningful story.
Chapters
Why are you making films?
What does working in the archive mean for you as a filmmaker?
What inspires you to create a film?
Is the structure of a film analogous to that of a personal relationship?
Absence appears to be a theme that runs throughout Herbaria and the rest of your filmography.
How do your films get written?
In Herbaria, how did you balance material constraints with the need to document a living process?
Herbaria represents an indefinite time between the present and the past. What were your thoughts about it?
How do you handle the transition from writing to editing?
What was it like filming a documentary in 16mm?
How do you balance your personal and professional lives?
Bio
Argentine-born film director, programmer, and archivist. He has been in charge of technical coordination at the Museo del Cine de Buenos Aires since 2015. He created a series of Super 8 short films, which were screened at international film festivals including the Edinburgh Film Festival, Anthology Film Archive, and Ann Arbor. His first feature film, "Los jóvenes muertos" (2010), premiered at IDFA and was screened at Viennale and Doclisboa, among others.
Filmography
- Herbaria (2022)
- La película infinita (2018)
- Petit Daguerre (2018)
- Montevideo (2017)
- Fresno (2014)
- Los jóvenes muertos (2010)
- Ámsterdam (2008)
