RIP Juan Carlos Desanzo

 

Juan Carlos Desanzo, emblematic director of Eva Perón and El Polaquito, died at the age of 88

The work of the renowned filmmaker leaves an artistic and ethical mark on generations that today value his commitment. His last appearance in Congress against the labor reform

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By Iván Basso

February 16, 2026

Juan Carlos Desanzo, a key figure in Argentine cinema, has died at the age of 88, according to Argentine Film Directors (DAC). As a director, screenwriter and director of photography, his work spanned several generations and genres fundamental to national culture.

The news is an irreparable loss for the industry, recognized as one of the greatest authors of national cinema and for his permanent contribution to the identity of the sector.

Desanzo began his career in the 60s as a cinematographer in emblematic films. Among his most outstanding works are Un guapo del 900, La hora de los Hornos, The Players vs. Ángeles Caídos, Crónica de una señora, Los gauchos judíos, Juan Moreira, La Tregua, No toquen a la nena, El muerto, Los pasajeros del jardín and El infierno tan temido.

His work on these titles was praised for his variety of styles and a recognized technical ability within the medium. DAC described him as a constant companion and firm defender of the cinematographic work.

Since 1983, Desanzo has established himself as a director and screenwriter, adding essential titles for national cinema. Among them are El desquite, En retirada, La búsqueda, Al filo de la ley, Eva Perón, Hasta la victoria siempre, La venganza, El amor y el espanto, El Polaquito and Verano amargo.

 

Less thaa week before his death, Desanzo participated in a press conference at the National Congress next to the National Audiovisual Space. The director expressed significant support for the claim against the labor reform promoted by the Executive Branch. The renowned director, an emblematic figure of Argentine cinema, thus joined a diverse group of artists and legislators concerned about the fate of local cultural production. "When I made my film Eva Perón I was fervently supported by the Peronist deputy Patricia Bullrich," he said, with pure irony in his presentation.

The National Audiovisual Space brought together personalities from different areas of cinema, television and culture. Desanzo's participation strengthened the legitimacy of the claim, since his career as a filmmaker made him a respected voice inside and outside the audiovisual field.

For Juan Carlos Desanzo, cinema was much more than a vocation, it was his daily refuge. The photographer, also recognized for his extensive career and for having collaborated with central figures of Argentine cinema, defined his link with films and cameras from his earliest years.

"At the age of five I had to start working, my reality was very lacking," Desanzo said during a conversation with Coco Blaustein on Radio Nacional in 2020. The director recalled that his first tasks included distributing ice in a cart with ball bearings, an image that illustrates the precariousness of his environment.

The opportunity to discover cinema came by chance. "Once I had to talk to a man who asked me if he could deliver his brochures of his cinema to all the homes where he delivered the ice. So in exchange he let me enter the cinema as many times as he wanted for free. Every day of my life I went to the movies," he confessed, synthesizing in that experience the root of his love for the seventh art.

Throughout his career, he established himself as one of the most sought-after cinematographers in the country. He worked with Fernando "Pino" Solanas in projects with strong political and social content, such as La Hora de los Hornos (1968). About that experience, Desanzo defined the film as "a clandestine film" and recognized it as "an act of liberation." A statement that sums up the climate of the time and the risks taken by the filmmakers.

The farewell to the filmmaker will be in a private ceremony. Juan Carlos Desanzo's impact, commitment and strength will live on in the industry he helped build.

DESANZO, Juan Carlos

Born: 1/15/1938, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Died: 2/16/2026, Buenos Aires, Argentina

 

Juan Carlos Desanzo’s westerns – cinematographer:

Juan Moreira – 1973

Cacique Bandeira - 1975