E.I.A.L., Vol. 24 – N o 1 (2013) Armando Bó and Isabel Sarli beyond the Nation: co-productions with Paraguay 1 ViCToria ruéTalo University of Alberta “yo les robo la patria porque yo me siento argentina y paraguaya a la vez. Me encanta la vegetación, la tierra colorada, lo hospitalario que son todos los paraguayos.” Isabel Sarli, August 18, 1998– “menchi,” Telefuturo In the above quote sex symbol and flm star Isabel Sarli highlights the per- sonal connection she has to Paraguay, a nation tightly linked to her work with director Armando Bó. The highly popular sexploitation couple made two offcial co-productions with Paraguay. Neither of these flms received funds from their respective States. As an entrepreneur and independent producer, Bó managed to make co-productions by teaming up with private investors from different nations keen on supporting local flm initiatives. Albeit not directly associated with the State, these investors were not entirely disconnected from the State’s political agenda. In this article, I am interested in exploring Bó and Sarli’s co-productions to question the static vision of national cinemas and invite new ways of think- ing about interconnections between nations. The case with Paraguay helps me to develop what I see as a dual function of these collaborations in the work of Bó and Sarli: frstly to show how popular cinema has a role in constructing na- tional cinemas beyond the nation, as these flms are appropriated by Paraguay and incorporated into its national imaginary. Secondly, I will show the inner workings of co-productions to argue the complicated nature of any discussion victoria.ruetalo@ualberta.ca Armando Bó and Isabel Sarli: co-productions with Paraguay