Fabián Bielinsky, 1959-2006.

Via Reuters:

Argentine film director Fabián Bielinsky, who shot the critically-acclaimed "Nine Queens" crime caper, died of a heart attack in Sao Paulo, Brazil, consulate officials said on Thursday. He was 47.

Bielinsky was in Brazil doing casting for commercials. He died on Wednesday night in his hotel.

Bielinsky had only directed two films — the most recent, "The Aura," was just acquired by, actually, IFC's First Take arm, as reported by Eugene Hernandez at indieWIRE early this month. His first film, "Nine Queens," was a critical hit here in the US and was invitably remade, though the result, 2004's "Criminal," is a lackluster affair despite a cast that includes John C. Reilly, Diego Luna, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Maybe it was because "Nine Queens," while on the surface a Mametesque tale of a con within a con, had a gratifyingly dark and particularly Argentine heart — one of the plot twists involves the collapse of a bank, leaving us with the image of a character left amidst the scrabbling, frantic crowd outside, all machinations come to naught, both unforgettable and prescient, considering the film was made before the country's 2001 financial crisis.

+ Argentine Nine Queens director, 47, dies in Brazil (Reuters)
+ IFC Gets Two Argentine Films For First Take (indieWIRE)