What to read & watch before visiting Buenos Aires

Argentina’s capital city has influenced generations of writers and served as the setting of innumerable works of art – from fantasy novels featuring the glittering Buenos Aires skyline, to the cinematic motorcycle adventures of a young Che Guevara. Whether you’re actively planning or just pondering your next holiday, literature and cinema can inspire and evoke Buenos Aires’ exciting cultural scene and mesmerising cityscapes like no other.

Which is why we’ve rounded up the top books and films to read and watch ahead of your trip, to help you get a feel for this ever-stimulating city and ensure you make the most of it.

Books:

Mysterious Buenos Aires, by Manuel Mujica Láinez

Colonialism has shaped Buenos Aires, and no one understood this better than Manuel Mujica Láinez. In his collection of 42 short stories, Mysterious Buenos Aires (published in the 1950s), Mujica Láinez traces the history of the city from its founding by colonisers in 1536 up until 1904. Mujica Láinez was especially concerned with how the landscape changed to match the fortunes of its inhabitants, delving into and featuring local dialects and geographical markers within the book. For a glimpse of the author’s Buenos Aires, stay in the historic district of San Telmo at Sagardi Loft Ostería – where high-ceilinged suites have herringbone parquet floors and the courtyard has a view of Iglesia de San Pedro González Telmo, one of the oldest colonial churches in the city.

Kalpa Imperial, by Angélica Gorodischer

It’s easy to see why Kalpa Imperial was the first of popular Argentinian writer Angélica Gorodischer’s 19 novels to be translated into English (by sci-fi legend Ursula K. Le Guin, no less). As an introduction to both Gorodischer’s style and the city of Buenos Aires, it’s hard to beat. A fantasy novel telling the story of an empire that has repeatedly risen and fallen, Kalpa Imperial uses several narrating storytellers to create an alternative history of Argentina. Echoes of Gorodischer’s fantasyland can be seen in the contemporary, glittering Buenos Aires skyline, especially at sunset when the city is bathed in gold and rose tones. One of the best places to see this spectacle for yourself is from the Sky Bar at Hotel Pulitzer.

My Fathers’ Ghost Is Climbing in the Rain: A Novel, by Patricio Pron

The narrator of Patricio Pron’s My Fathers’ Ghost Is Climbing in the Rain has returned to Argentina to comfort his dying father and ends up helping to solve a local murder. The investigation leads to the narrator reliving memories from the country’s ‘Dirty War’ and takes the reader on a journey through this chaotic period. To understand more about the war’s impact on Argentina when you visit Buenos Aires, make time to visit the Remembrance Park in the Belgrano barrio or neighbourhood – located in front of the Río de la Plata estuary close to the University of Buenos Aires, the park contains work by artists like Clorindo Testa and Magdalena Abakanowicz. Also in Belgrano, you’ll find the Urbanica The Libertador Hotel, whose rooftop pool and sundeck provide a panoramic urban view.

The Motorcycle Diaries, by Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara

Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara may be remembered as a revolutionary, leader and political figure but he was also a talented storyteller whose documentation of a motorcycle road trip through South America makes for an enthralling read. The Motorcycle Diaries begins in Buenos Aires, from where Che set off on his two-wheeled travels. These days, mural tributes to Guevara can be found dotted around the city – visit the San Telmo district to see one of the most well-known. Or, do a full street art tour with Graffitimundo, a non-profit arts organization that runs workshops and tours championing the local urban art scene. You can also visit the organization’s own dedicated gallery space in the barrio of Palermo Hollywood, and stay nearby at the bright and modern Vitrum Hotel.

Films:

Nueve Reinas (Nine Queens), directed by Fabián Bielinsky

The Nine Queens of director Fabián Bielinsky’s hit thriller title refer to a sheet of nine forged, rare stamps that a pair of petty criminals attempt to sell over the course of the film. The result is a hilarious yet gripping heist that encompasses large swathes of both respectable and not-even-slightly-respectable sides of Buenos Aires. The film culminates in a satisfying twist that will leave you smiling and grimacing in equal measure. Ilum Experience Home offers a tranquil base for your own exploration of the Argentine capital.

Happy Together, directed by Kar-Wai Wong

In Happy Together, Yiu-Fai and Po-Wing are a couple that move to Buenos Aires, only to see their relationship fall apart. While that’s not necessarily the most cheerful introduction, you’ll soon see how director Kar-Wai Wong’s love for Buenos Aires shines through even as the onscreen romance flounders. The city’s wild and wonderful nightlife – in particular – is a focal point for Happy Together. Experience a few days of living like a local by checking into the self-catered La Editorial Segundo C, just a short walk from the city’s nightlife district.

The Secret in Their Eyes, directed by Juan José Campanella

Assuming you have no interest in a gripping plot, romance and beautiful cinematography, The Secret in Their Eyes is still worth watching for the impressive five-minute-long, continuous shot of the Estadio Tomás Adolfo Ducó, a Buenos Aires stadium that’s home to the Atlético Huracán football team. At the time of filming, this shot was a groundbreaking technical feat and watching it today still feels like being transported into the heart of the roaring crowd. Try to get tickets for a match at the stadium, then stay a 25-minute bus ride away at Vacances San Telmo.

Evita, directed by Alan Parker

While this Madonna-led film has been criticised for its inaccuracies, Evita does still bring to life for the viewer many historically significant places across Buenos Aires. These important sights include the Casa Rosada (the ‘Pink House’) balcony, where leading political figure Eva Perón spoke to hundreds of thousands of Argentinians in 1945. The Alvear Icon Hotel sits on the other side of the river to Casa Rosada and the staff are happy to organise personal tours of Buenos Aires’ historic landmarks.