El jockey

Once a legendary jockey, Remo Manfredini's self-destructive behavior led him down the wrong path. Now, he races mainly to pay off massive debts to a criminal gang led by shady mob boss Sirena. During the most important race of his life, things go terribly wrong: Remo causes a tragic accident in which one of the most valuable horses dies. He is severely injured himself. When he regains consciousness in the hospital, he flees. With bandages still around his head, he assumes a new identity and wanders the streets of Buenos Aires, on the run from Sirena. With its absurd humor and sharp contrasts, El Jockey evokes the work of Wes Anderson, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Aki Kaurismäki. It’s the latest film from Luis Ortega, the leading Argentine director known for his poetically charged and visually intense style. Ortega gained international acclaim with El ángel (2018), which was selected for the Cannes Film Festival and, like El Jockey, was Argentina’s submission for the Oscars. In El Jockey, Ortega delivers a tragicomic study of fame, alienation, and identity. Nahuel Pérez Biscayart stars as a fallen sports hero searching for himself, alongside Úrsula Corberó (Tokyo in Money Heist) as his lover and rival. The film premiered in competition at the Venice Film Festival and won the Horizontes Latinos Award in San Sebastián.