The Festival de Málaga, organised by Malaga City Council through Malaga Procultura, has paid a moving tribute to Argentine director Fabián Bielinsky, one of the most influential voices in his country's cinema, with the posthumous presentation of the Biznaga de Honor award. The award was accepted by his son, Martín Bielinsky, from the festival director, Juan Antonio Vigar, at an event that also included a discussion about his work and cinematic legacy.

The tribute is part of a special programme dedicated to the filmmaker, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the premiere of Nueve reinas, one of the most influential films in contemporary Argentine cinema. The Festival has brought back three titles that allow viewers to revisit his creative universe: Nueve reinas,  El aura and the documentary Nueve auras,  directed by Mariano Frigerio.

Martín Bielinsky accepted an Honorary Biznaga Award on behalf of his father and remarked that it is incredible that, 25 years later, his work is still being watched and continues to move audiences. The director of the Festival de Málaga, Juan Antonio Vigar, emphasised at the award ceremony that Bielinsky was “a unique and unusual director, who, with his work, followed the path that cinephiles want to see.”

During the discussion, director Mariano Frigerio explained the origins of Nueve auras, a documentary that revisits Bielinsky's career and the impact of his films, reviewing the trajectory and significance of "a much-loved and respected filmmaker who changed the way we see cinema in Argentina."

Produced by Untref Media, Nueve auras reconstructs the filmmaker's legacy through interviews, archival footage, and the return of its protagonists to some of the most emblematic locations from his films. The documentary features Ricardo Darín, Gastón Pauls, Leticia Brédice, Dolores Fonzi, and Alejandro Awada, among others, and offers a journey that spans from the director's years of perseverance to the international impact of his work.

The tribute also included the participation of Leticia Brédice and Gastón Pauls, stars of Nueve reinas, who reminisced about their experience working with Bielinsky on a film that would mark a turning point in Argentine cinema at the beginning of the century. Leticia Brédice acknowledged that Nueve reinas “is everything I wanted to do when I was a little girl dreaming of being an actress, a film recognised worldwide, a glorious film in every sense.”

For his part, Gastón Pauls highlighted Fabián Bielinsky's ability to convey exactly what he wanted and described Nueve reinas  as “a work of clockwork,” admitting to having a “bittersweet feeling” that the director didn't live to see “all that his work generated.”

Fabián Bielinsky left a profound mark on Argentine cinema with a brief but decisive filmography. Nueve reinas (2000) quickly became an international phenomenon thanks to its ingenious script and its portrayal of the world of con artists, while El aura (2005) confirmed his talent as a storyteller with a hauntingly atmospheric story and great cinematic precision.