20. UNDER|DOX 09-15 OKT 2025

Parte I: El equilibrista (The Tightrope Walker)

A complex, disturbing and ultimately devastating trilogy of films, „El Tríptico de Mondongo” is an experimental portrait of failure and self-destruction, as well as the painful chronicle of a friendship’s demise. Mariano Llinás was commissioned to create a documentary about Mondongo, an Argentine art collective known for their portraits of cultural icons and popular myths produced using plasticine and other unconventional materials – a task that proved overwhelming.

”El equilibrista” is perhaps the most traditional of the three films, an observational documentary that follows the creation of El Baptisterio de Colores, a dodecahedron inspired by the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Florence. As we witness the painstakingly intricate construction process, combined with an interview where the artists share their story, we sense the filmmaker’s frustration with the project’s direction. To enhance his portrayal of the process, Llinás begins experimenting: he incorporates Bernard Herrmann’s music to infuse everything with dramatic intensity, adds humorous and fictional elements, harshly criticises the artists’ work and slowly deconstructs the traditional idea of a portrait – much like Mondongo does in its own work. – Viennale

Mariano Llinás
AR 2024 | German Premiere
73 min | Spanish

Parte II: Retrato de Mondongo (Portrait of Mondongo)

As ”Retrato de Mondongo” begins, you can see Mariano Llinás exploring new ideas. “What if I try my own interpretation of the Baptisterio de Colores on film and see what comes of it?” he proposes, introducing a sort of competition to match the Mondongo artwork with one of his own. The idea sounds enticing, but something feels off. Llinás starts “rowing against the storm”: writing poems, showing old videos recounting his friendship with the Mondongo artists (Juliana Laffitte and Manuel Mendanha) and engaging in arguments with a Letterboxd critic who accuses him of being a “self-destructive egomaniac”. In one stunning sequence, chaos erupts: a verbal and physical fight breaks out between everyone involved, the kind one would expect in a Howard Hawks movie but not in a documentary. This clash of egos leads to a debate about narcissism in film and a painful confrontation with creative and personal turmoil. Ultimately, the film becomes an exploration of the impossibility for some filmmakers to create art that isn’t at its core about themselves. What is a portrait if not a self-portrait, an investigation into the painter’s gaze? – Viennale

Mariano Llinás
AR 2024 | German Premiere
122 min | Spanish

Parte III: Kunst der Farbe

The conflict escalates and reaches its conclusion: Mariano Llinás and the Mondongo group are no longer collaborating. The filmmaker embarks on the creation of his cinematic version of ”Kunst der Farbe”, the Johannes Itten book that inspired Mondongo’s “Baptisterio de Colores“. This becomes an exploration of colour through film and music – a playful exercise that mixes Godardian experimentation, Hitchcockian drama, and the darkly whimsical impulses of Fritz Lang’s films. In his own rhizomatic way – and with the help of colourist and cinematographer Inés Duacastella, along with a dissonant score composed by Gabriel Chowjnik performed live by an ensemble – Llinás attempts to resolve the argument woven throughout the triptych. But is this truly a “synthesis” or merely an implosion? A masterclass in film theory or a cry for help? “You’ll regret going up against us,” the actress playing Laffitte warns Llinás when he challenges her to a duel of creativity and genius. “You’ll make a fool of yourself, a buffoon,” she adds, before accepting. We then witness two dogs racing against each other down a country road. The crowd applauds. The race begins and ends at the very same time. – Viennale

Mariano Llinás
AR 2024 | German Premiere
90 min | Spanish