Daniel Hendler

Comedy is often an undervalued genre in film awards. This is not the case at the Platino Awards —sponsored by Iberia— where comedy has its own category. This year, the nominees for Best Ibero-American Comedy are the Colombian film A Poet, the Spanish film The Dinner, the Argentinian film Homo Argentum —starring Guillermo Francella, who received the Platino Honorary Award this year— and the Uruguayan film A Loose End. Just days before the ceremony, we spoke with the director of this last film: Daniel Hendler (Montevideo, Uruguay, 1976). The actor, who came to the attention of filmgoers in 2004 after winning the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin Film Festival for Lost Embrace, has always combined his acting career with directing and writing. A Loose End is, in fact, his third feature film after Norberto’s Deadline (2010) and The Candidate (2016). If these three works have anything in common, it’s humour —a purely Hendler kind of humour: lucid, witty, biting, transparent, austere, melancholic, sometimes absurd, sometimes poetic. This familiar face at the Platino Awards —in 2024, he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the series Community Squad— celebrates that these awards foster closer ties between Ibero-American film industries: “I think they highlight our need for connection.”

A Loose End is competing for the Platino Award against A Poet, The Dinner, and Homo Argentum. Quite a line-up. What are your thoughts on the category?
I celebrate the diversity. I don’t know which is the favourite because they’re very difficult to compare; they’re very different types of comedy. Each one offers a particular perspective on the genre. I tend to believe that almost everything is comedy, and in that sense, I think there’s a good range of approaches. In my case, I especially like that the film is being valued as such.

Personally, what does this nomination mean to you?
I tend not to create unnecessary expectations. First, because there’s always a greater chance of losing than winning. The fact that it’s an award granted by the industry, by those who make films, and that it comes from such a large jury gives it intrinsic value. I’m usually sceptical and think that an award isn’t necessarily synonymous with deserving it, but when you win one, you want to believe it is (laughs).

Santiago (Sergio Prina), an Argentinian policeman who crosses the border with Urugay, is the star of ‘A Loose End.’ © Courtesy of EGEDA

It’s not easy for a Uruguayan film to get into the Platino Awards. Does raising awareness of your country’s film industry bring you extra satisfaction?
The film invites us to explore Uruguay along its borders, its coastline, an area that isn’t so explored in our films. There are microcosms worth discovering, and I think Uruguayan cinema, even though small, has managed to find them and establish its own discussions. The fact that any Uruguayan film has the opportunity to be distributed is already something I value highly. A Loose End has had a very beautiful, very satisfying run, and the Platino Awards allow us to rub shoulders with films that are generally on a much bigger scale.

“I understand that humour is everywhere; you just have to open a window and let it peek in on its own, without force it”

Daniel Hendler’s humour always stands out for its lucidity, wit, and biting humour… How would you define it, and what role does it play in A Loose End?
It would be nice if those kind words came from you and not me (laughs). I love it when an outside perspective sheds light on something that’s a mystery to me. I think it’s accidental humour, stemming from a selective naturalism. An absurd situation arises accidentally in an everyday setting. The idea is for the humour to pierce that naturalism, but without sacrificing the truth, which is the most important thing. I understand that humour is everywhere; you just have to open a window and let it peek in on its own, without force it. The advantage is that if the humour works, great. And if it doesn’t, nobody notices (laughs).

Is comedy a great ally for addressing certain themes?
A Loose End doesn’t raise urgent issues in terms of current events, and its subject matter could be approached as either tragedy or comedy. For me, comedy is about human relationships and appears in any approach that avoids solemnity. I love that this film is framed as a comedy and that there’s a specific award for it at the Platino Awards, given that comedies haven’t been awarded historically.

‘A Loose End’ hopes to conquer the Platino Award for Best Comedy Film. © Courtesy of EGEDA

As an actor and director, what drives you to go out of your way and get behind the camera?
I’m not sure that directing is more stressful than acting for the following reasons: directing involves a longer and more complex process, but when you’re directing on set, the film adapts to the difficulties you encounter and the limitations you accept. In the case of acting, you are the one who has to adapt. As an actor, you have to be concentrated enough that, when the camera starts rolling, everything is perfectly aligned. When a director feels a moment of doubt, they can scratch their chin, take a step back, and everyone says: “Let’s give them time to think.” Meanwhile, an actor can’t afford to do that. Directing does require more justification, and an even greater sense of responsibility. When you decide to direct, it’s usually because of a passion or a need, but then you have to decide if it’s worth it because it’s a huge undertaking that involves many people. In any case, I see them as complementary activities and I doubt I could prefer one over the other.

“The Platino Awards allow us to see what’s being made in neighbouring countries, highlighting the need to look at each other and discuss things more”

What value do you place on a space like the Platino Awards, where Ibero-American cinema is showcased and recognised annually?
Above all, I find it interesting that we get to see films from other regions, so close and yet so far away at the same time. It’s striking how few opportunities we have to see films from Latin American countries; often the only chance we get is at festivals, where there are few screenings and, sometimes, it’s difficult to get tickets. Access to other film industries is complex, and the Platino Awards allow us to see what’s being made in neighbouring countries, highlighting the need to look at each other and discuss things more because we often perceive our realities as isolated from one another. 

You’ve built your career between Uruguay and Argentina, so you’re aware of the importance of these connections between film industries.
In the case of Uruguay and Argentina, sometimes one faces more difficulties than the other. And that is when mutual support tends to come into play. Argentine cinema is going through a delicate moment: it’s being relegated to the market, and we all know the problems that entails in a sector that needs freedom and diversity. Independent cinema helps us understand each other better and reaches places the mainstream market doesn’t. Uruguay is trying to be a good partner right now, even though making films here isn’t easy either. It’s a somewhat turbulent road, but we’re getting there. In the case of A Loose End, the minority Argentine co-production took a considerable risk and was essential to the film.