Red Ink

In the Argentinean society, blood and murder are daily occurrences. For a number of journalists of La Cronica — a leading newspaper in Buenos Aires — the violence, traffic accidents and assaults are their bread and butter. Every day, they witness a lot of misery, and if the topics for front-page articles do not automatically present themselves, they personally generate them. Like Martha, who calls the morgue every morning from the editorial office, in pursuit of vivid reports. In order to keep their ground in the midst of this hectic life and to retain a certain form of dignity, the journalists take refuge in wry humour and dance the tango with great passion. Tinta roja shows the ethical ambivalence of the gutter press, ‘in a country where people disappear and where being mentioned in the newspaper, even in a few lines, is a way to stand out‘. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)