In the footsteps of a pioneer of Latin American musical memory
In 1941, the Argentine musicologist and composer Isabel Aretz embarked on a vast journey across Argentina and Chile. Her aim was to listen to, record and preserve musical traditions threatened with extinction. This exploration gave rise to a pioneering endeavour, which gradually mapped out a veritable ‘sound map’ of the Latin American continent and revealed the extraordinary richness of its musical cultures.
Directed by Marcel Czombos, the documentary Isabel la criolla looks back at the life and legacy of this leading figure in ethnomusicology. Archival footage, personal accounts, songs and rhythms tell the story of a life devoted to listening and passing on tradition: that of a woman who travelled far and wide to collect music from its natural habitats, within communities and folk traditions.
A film by Marcel Czombos
Argentina/Chile (2018)
Documentary
Running time: 53'
The screening will be followed at 3.00 pm by a discussion with Vania Aillon, director of FILMAR en América Latina, and Leonardo García-Alarcón, conductor and director of La Cité Bleue, before giving way, at 5.00 pm, to Héritage(s) by Lia Naviliat Cuncic. Accompanied by her quartet, the singer and composer also explores her South American roots, drawing on a mix of popular repertoire, original compositions and improvised music.
A day organised as part of the collaboration between FILMAR en América Latina and La Cité Bleue, where cinema and live music engage with one another around a shared question: how does music carry within it the memory, identities and legacies of a continent?
The full programme of FILMAR en América Latina is available on filmar.ch from 29 October 2026.
Tickets for the film are on sale via the FILMAR box office.
Holders of a concert ticket are entitled to a discount on the film screening, and holders of a film screening ticket are entitled to a discount on the concert.
