BLOOD INK

Homicides, traffic accidents, assault and battery: few newspapers can do without them. For a group of journalists of La Cronica, a leading Buenos Aires newspaper, violence is their bread and butter. Everyday, they witness nothing but misery, and if the topics for front-page articles do not automatically present themsleves, they will not hesitate to create them. Take Martha, for example, who calls the morgue every morning from the editorial office, in persuit of a juicy story. In order to keep their ground in the midst of this hectic life and to retain a certain form of dignity, these journalists take refuge in wry humour and dance the tango with great passion. A reflection of life in modern-day Argentina, Tinta Roja reveals the ethical ambivalence of the gutter press, their machinations and cynicism, "in a country where people disappear and where being mentioned in the newspaper, even in a few lines, is a way to stand out".