Federico Figner

Federico Figner was a German immigrant living in Brazil who in 1896 filmed in Argentina what are now considered the first three films of the country. Figner's three films consisted of short depictions of sights of the city of Buenos Aires (named "Vistas de Palermo", "La Avenida de Mayo" and "La Plaza de Mayo") and were screened the 24th of November. Not much else is known about Figner, and his work is usually obscured by that of Eugenio Py's, a Frenchman who filmed in 1897 "La Bandera Argentina" ("The Flag of Argentina"). The film consisted of an Argentine flag waving at the camera for a few seconds, but for some time was regarded as the first ever made in the country, largely due to its patriotic symbolism.

Figner's films, like Py's, are now lost.