In 1917, Italian-Argentine director Quirino Cristiani made the first feature-length film El Apóstol (now lost), which became a critical and commercial success.
ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvəntˌiːn, ɪtˈæliənˈɑːɹdʒəntˌaɪn dᵻɹˈɛktɚ kwɪɹˈiːnoʊ kɹˌɪstɪˈɑːni mˌeɪd ðə fˈɜːst fˈiːtʃɚlˈɛŋθ fˈɪlm ˌɛl ɐpˈɔstəl nˈaʊ lˈɔst, wˌɪtʃ bɪkˌeɪm ɐ kɹˈɪɾɪkəl ænd kəmˈɜːʃəl səksˈɛs.