She’s an art-house giant. But Lucrecia Martel sometimes feels the lure of Hollywood

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During a past trip to Los Angeles, Argentine director Lucrecia Martel was having a cigarette on Hollywood Boulevard.

As she walked along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, stepping over the stars on the sidewalk, a man experiencing homelessness started talking to her.

I remember him telling me he wasn’t dressed well because he was homeless – he’d been robbed and was living on the street. But the surprising thing was, he’d actually written a screenplay! He shared this with me over coffee one morning in April at a hotel in West Hollywood, and I was really struck by his story. He was 59 at the time.

She explained that he claimed someone had stolen his watch – it wasn’t a Rolex, but a well-known brand. Throughout the conversation, he kept insisting he was a wealthy man who’d unexpectedly ended up homeless due to a series of unfortunate events.

Martel, a key voice in Latin American literature, is captivated by the enduring belief throughout the region that a single film can dramatically transform someone’s life.

She admits that kind of daydreaming is common here, and she’s guilty of it herself. That’s why she’s returned to publicize her debut documentary, ‘Our Land,’ which comes out on Friday.

Lucrecia Martel is a filmmaker who doesn’t rush her work, having directed only four fictional films, including “La Cienaga” (2001) and “The Headless Woman” (2008, recently restored in 4K and returning to cinemas). Her sharp and visually striking stories delve into themes of class and politics, with a particular focus on the inner lives of women, presenting them as complex and mysterious characters.

“Our Land” is a powerful film that exposes the lasting damage caused by colonialism. It tells the story of Javier Chocobar, an Indigenous Argentine activist who was murdered in 2009, and follows the lengthy legal battle to bring his killers to justice in 2018.

Chocobar was killed in a shooting while involved in a land dispute in Argentina’s TucumĂĄn province, an area traditionally inhabited by the Chuschagasta Indigenous community. Martel examines this death not as a single incident, but as part of a continuing pattern of taking land from Indigenous people.

She describes racism as deeply ingrained in Argentina. According to her, the country has consistently marginalized and rejected its Indigenous population since its very beginning, and this pattern continues today.

According to Martel, Argentina’s education system has historically taught people that Indigenous populations are a thing of the past. Ironically, many Argentines readily identify with their European, especially Italian, ancestry, tracing their roots back to immigrants who arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

According to Martel, presidents often emphasize that Argentina is a nation built by immigrants, referencing phrases like ‘we arrived by boat.’ This language reflects a deeper societal feeling that Argentinians owe more to European newcomers than to the country’s original Indigenous people, despite the fact that over half of Argentinians have Indigenous roots.

In 2020, the three men convicted of murdering Chocobar had their convictions overturned and were released. The premiere of the film “Our Land” at the Venice Film Festival in September 2025 brought the case back into the spotlight. A month later, an appeals court reinstated the original sentences, and two of the men were sent back to prison – the third had died in the meantime.

Martel thinks the result happened because of her film. She explains, “People in communities do the hard work, but film can help support that effort.”

Martel spent more than 14 years, with interruptions, working on “Our Land.” During that time, she also dedicated herself to her 2017 film, “Zama,” a critically acclaimed historical drama about a Spanish official in 18th-century Argentina who feels disconnected from the continent. Martel sees both films as explorations of the effects of colonialism.

Martel and her team carefully collected and organized all the documents related to the Chuschagasta community’s case, and made this archive available to them. Over time, DelfĂ­n Cata, an Indigenous man who witnessed the attack, would call Martel. He never directly asked about the film’s progress, but she felt he was quietly making sure she hadn’t given up on telling their story.

She explained that the positive response proved there was a real need for the film, not just personal interest. It gave her a strong sense of fulfillment knowing her work would genuinely help people.

Martel feels it’s unfair to question her qualifications for directing this film, especially based on her identity. She argues that everyone should be allowed to share their perspective on history, regardless of their gender, race, or background. She believes it’s better to attempt understanding, even with the risk of errors, than to avoid the topic altogether, as mistakes are inevitable in filmmaking no matter how well-intentioned the creator is.

A crucial piece of evidence in the Chocobar case, featured in the film, is a video taken by one of the attackers. It appears they hoped to provoke a violent reaction from the Indigenous community, giving them an excuse to shoot at them. However, the men from Chuschagasta who confronted the attackers were not armed. In this context, the camera itself was used as a tool of aggression.

Martel’s films are complex and deal with difficult issues specific to her home country, making Hollywood seem like the wrong place for her work. She herself agrees it’s not a good match.

She explains that she’d have to push herself to make art that wasn’t rooted in her own culture and language, and she simply doesn’t find that inspiring.

Marvel Studios reached out to director Chloe Zhao for a meeting when they were looking for someone to direct the 2021 film “Black Widow.” While she knew she wasn’t necessarily a top contender, Zhao was interested in the opportunity to discuss the project.

She recalls they initially planned to meet over Zoom, but she was actually in Los Angeles at the time. She offered to attend in person because she was curious about the entire process.

Martel recalls her month in Los Angeles – which was extended because of an eye injury that kept her from traveling home – as ultimately enjoyable, despite not leading to a major film role. She recently considered another opportunity in Hollywood, but decided against it.

Martel says a talented actress recommended the book to him, but he ultimately decided against pursuing a film adaptation. He explains that it quickly became clear the project would require a significant amount of time – at least a year and a half, and potentially three years – living and working in the United States, and he has too many commitments in Argentina to take that on right now.

I’ve always been fascinated by Hollywood, and its impact on cinema is just undeniable. Two of my absolute favorite films that really capture that L.A. vibe – and are a bit twisted, honestly – are David Lynch’s ‘Mulholland Drive,’ which is a total mind-bender, and Robert Aldrich’s ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?’, a seriously unsettling psychodrama.

As a lifelong movie fan, I’ve always known there was a strange, unsettling side to Hollywood, but ‘Mulholland Drive’ really brought it into focus for me. It’s just
 unsettling how an industry built on so much money and glamour can be populated by such deeply troubled people. That film perfectly captures that feeling of underlying madness – it’s ruthless and just
 not right, you know?

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Sometimes, a truly standout film comes along and changes expectations. A prime example is Todd Phillips’ “Joker,” which won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival in 2019 while Martel was leading the jury – a decision that sparked debate.

“It definitely affected me,” Martel explains. “However, I didn’t actually vote for it. I preferred a different movie – a Chinese film, but it didn’t have much chance of winning.”

Watching Todd Phillips’ film, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was actually predicting something. Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet recently told me he sees a direct line between the movie’s unsettling humor and the behavior of certain world leaders. He specifically mentioned Trump, Milei, and OrbĂĄn, arguing that these figures willingly make themselves the subject of mockery and just
 say whatever comes to mind. He believes the film brilliantly captured that very phenomenon – the modern political clown, if you will.

Martel doesn’t shy away from direct statements, and he explains the connection between Joaquin Phoenix’s character—a troubled loner who becomes a villain—and President Trump.

According to her, the Joker’s roots lie in feelings of social anger and frustration. She argues that Donald Trump doesn’t feel this resentment himself, as he’s benefited from the existing system. However, she believes he skillfully takes advantage of those who do feel resentful, revealing a manipulative side to his personality – he understands how to exploit people’s feelings for his own gain.

Martel is worried about things like artificial intelligence, extreme political views, and unrestrained capitalism, believing they’re leading us toward a dangerous crisis. However, she still believes there’s reason to be optimistic.

She admits they’ve created something potentially harmful, but believes it can be taken apart. She’s hopeful that eventually, everyone will agree it’s a mistake and decide to stop pursuing it.

She argues that film should leverage its significant influence to challenge how people see the world, not simply entertain those already in power. Her focus isn’t on presenting a specific message, but on illustrating how ideas actually work.

In her book, “Our Land,” she highlights one of the people she interviewed – an Indigenous man who surprisingly loves the classic film “Ben-Hur” from 1959. While she doesn’t feel the same way about the movie, she respects his enjoyment of it.

It’s a setback for filmmakers like me who focus on artistic vision,” Martel explains with a chuckle. “The emotional impact of films like ‘Ben-Hur’ inspired him to keep working hard for his community and protect their interests.”

The evening before her interview, Martel explored Los Angeles on a scooter, with a friend helping her. She now relies on a cane for getting around, but still appreciates the city’s beautiful light and remains open to new discoveries.

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2026-05-07 01:02