Year2021
Customer
Project

Experimenta Estudio embraced the challenge of creating a feature-length documentary about the 1921 Teachers' Strike, a milestone in the teacher union's struggle, at the request of Armando Yualé, who had the original idea. The collaboration arose through recommendation, entrusting Experimenta Estudio with the execution and direction of the project. Experimenta partnered with Costera Films for production and enlisted a co-screenwriter for the script.

With only a scientific paper and a photo as documents about the event and a tight budget, the team devised strategies to tell the story. The COVID-23 pandemic did not hinder their progress; they conducted research on digitized newspapers, found more photos in "Caras y Caretas" magazine, and conducted pre-interviews with experts. The lack of original images led to the decision to recreate scenes through a collage of period photos before the widespread recognition of AI possibilities. They also created audiovisual recreations: some interviews conducted by Diario Santa Fe with the protagonists during the conflict came to life with the voices of well-known actors.

The research was primarily conducted online, searching for data in digitized books and contemporary newspapers. The selection of interviewees was based on recommendations from the paper's author and other interviewees. The scriptwriting continually adapted, reformulating the outline during the research process and the script after shooting and during post-production.

The recreation of the era's classroom took place in the building of Normal School 2 in Rosario, utilizing preserved historical furniture. Post-production included remote collaboration with motion graphics designers and musicians. The target audience, composed of historians, union activists, teachers, students, and anyone interested in people's struggles, determined the narrative strategies: maintaining a fast-paced rhythm and constant tension through the use of resources to ensure a classic dramatic arc.

Despite not being a feminist strike, women were the protagonists, which was disruptive at the time and one of the most interesting aspects of the conflict. The approach to this facet was careful, dedicating a central sequence of the documentary, in the middle of the film. This was a strategic decision not only from a conceptual but also a narrative standpoint, offering viewers a more reflective, yet impassioned, break from the dynamic action and reaction of the conflict.

Recognition and emotion from the audience during screenings in various cinemas, requests to screen it in union headquarters, educational and university settings, and its broadcast on television channels, especially on Canal Encuentro, solidify the project's success.

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Write to us

Lisandro Bauk

Director

+54 3415 529 859
info@experimentaestudio.com