The Filmer uncovers a hidden facet of celebrated Uruguayan writer José Pedro Díaz: his secret passion for cinema. Between 1950 and 1952, Díaz created a silent yet deeply expressive film diary, never shown publicly in his lifetime. Shot with two cameras—an Emel 8mm and a Bolex 16mm—the thirteen surviving reels of black-and-white film offer a rare, multifaceted archive of mid-century life and thought.
These films capture a remarkable range of themes: the everyday rhythms of working-class Montevideo, intimate portraits of intellectual and artistic circles in postwar Europe, and domestic travel scenes featuring his wife, the poet Amanda Berenguer. Díaz’s lens transforms ordinary moments into meditative visual essays, imbuing the personal with profound historical and emotional resonance.
Complementing this cinematic archive is Díaz’s extensive literary journal. When placed in dialogue, the film reels and written diary form a singular, interdisciplinary chronicle—one in which literature and image converge to reveal the inner life and cultural context of one of Uruguay’s most significant intellectuals.
Aldo Garay’s documentary not only rescues these materials from obscurity but also reflects on the act of creation itself. The Filmer becomes a film about filmmaking, a diary about a diary—excavating memory, authorship, and legacy. This work invites reflection on the intersections of literature, visual culture, and national memory in Latin America.
