"Act as simple as you can, my dear." Mubi has released an official trailer for an intriguing film titled Azor, which first premiered at the 2021 Berlin Film Festival earlier this year. It's described as a "political thriller" but it's unlike any other political thriller. Yvan De Wiel, a private banker from Geneva, goes to Argentina in the midst of a dictatorship to replace his partner, the object of the most worrying rumours, who disappeared overnight. It's set during a tumultuous time in Argentina in the 1970s, all about the power play of money. "In his remarkably assured debut, Swiss director Andreas Fontana invites us into this seductive, moneyed world where political violence simmers just under the surface." It's co-written by Argentinian filmmaker Mariano Llinás (La Flor), and is "a riveting look at international intrigue worthy of John le Carré or Graham Greene." Starring Fabrizio Rongione, Stéphanie Cléau, Elli Medeiros, and Alexandre Trocki.
- 7/28/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
International sales agent Be For Films has given Variety exclusive access to the international trailer for Andreas Fontana’s first feature “Azor,” selected for this year’s Encounters section at the Berlin International Film Festival. Set among the world of international banking in the 1980’s, Fontana describes his debut as being “like a film about conquistadors.”
The film uses French, Spanish and English dialogue to tell the trans-Atlantic story of Yvan De Wiel, a private banker from Geneva. Yvan visits Argentina during the Junta dictatorship to replace his partner, who mysteriously disappeared one night leaving few clues behind. As he maneuvers among Argentina’s elite, offering rich shots of ballrooms, posh hotels, massive gardens and swanky lounges, the banker plays a dangerous political game of modern capitalist colonization.
In the trailer, we get a taste of the conquistador attitude Fontana refers to as Yvan uses the arrival of Hernan Cortes...
The film uses French, Spanish and English dialogue to tell the trans-Atlantic story of Yvan De Wiel, a private banker from Geneva. Yvan visits Argentina during the Junta dictatorship to replace his partner, who mysteriously disappeared one night leaving few clues behind. As he maneuvers among Argentina’s elite, offering rich shots of ballrooms, posh hotels, massive gardens and swanky lounges, the banker plays a dangerous political game of modern capitalist colonization.
In the trailer, we get a taste of the conquistador attitude Fontana refers to as Yvan uses the arrival of Hernan Cortes...
- 2/26/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Watch an auteur’s early short and it usually goes one of two ways: a) the pieces, or fragments, of directorial style and thematics are all there, and hindsight makes it no wonder that said auteur ended up a major figure; or b) they clearly found a different way down the road, and “minor anomaly” thus becomes the common response.
Olivier Assayas’ 1982 piece Left Unfinished in Tokyo, as its title may suggest, has a way of splitting the difference. Le CiNéMa Club continue their programming hot streak with this 20-minute film, available for free until Friday and something of a must-see for fans and skeptics alike. It will take all of a minute to recall the international cross-referencing and espionage(-ish) dealings of Demonlover, Boarding Gate, and Irma Vep, its narrative — wherein some academics in over their heads find the picturesque qualities of their adopted country are perhaps enough to maintain security — a neat supplement.
Olivier Assayas’ 1982 piece Left Unfinished in Tokyo, as its title may suggest, has a way of splitting the difference. Le CiNéMa Club continue their programming hot streak with this 20-minute film, available for free until Friday and something of a must-see for fans and skeptics alike. It will take all of a minute to recall the international cross-referencing and espionage(-ish) dealings of Demonlover, Boarding Gate, and Irma Vep, its narrative — wherein some academics in over their heads find the picturesque qualities of their adopted country are perhaps enough to maintain security — a neat supplement.
- 9/25/2018
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
A look at what's new on DVD today:
"The Fantasia Collection"
Released by Disney Home Entertainment
While the headliner of Disney's incredible group of releases on November 30th will be the four-disc Blu-ray double feature of "Fantasia" and "Fantasia 2000," it's what's less publicized that should be exciting to both Disneyphiles and film fans in general. Starting with the hi-def debut of the two "Fantasias," Disney will finally include amongst the films' copious special features (many ported over from the out-of-print DVD set) the 1946 Salvador Dali-Walt Disney collaboration "Destino," along with an 82-minute making-of documentary. And incidentally, Disney is also releasing three standalone documentaries that shouldn't be overlooked in "The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story" about the songsmiths behind the studio's most famous musicals like "Mary Poppins," "Walt & El Grupo," which details the company-shifting trip Walt Disney took with his animators to Latin America as part of the Good...
"The Fantasia Collection"
Released by Disney Home Entertainment
While the headliner of Disney's incredible group of releases on November 30th will be the four-disc Blu-ray double feature of "Fantasia" and "Fantasia 2000," it's what's less publicized that should be exciting to both Disneyphiles and film fans in general. Starting with the hi-def debut of the two "Fantasias," Disney will finally include amongst the films' copious special features (many ported over from the out-of-print DVD set) the 1946 Salvador Dali-Walt Disney collaboration "Destino," along with an 82-minute making-of documentary. And incidentally, Disney is also releasing three standalone documentaries that shouldn't be overlooked in "The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story" about the songsmiths behind the studio's most famous musicals like "Mary Poppins," "Walt & El Grupo," which details the company-shifting trip Walt Disney took with his animators to Latin America as part of the Good...
- 11/29/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
This is the Pure Movies review of Lion's Den (Leonera) directed by Pablo Trapero and starring Martina Gusman, Elli Medeiros, Rodrigo Santoro, Laura García, Tomás Plotinsky and Leonardo Sauma. With his fifth feature Argentinian director/writer Pablo Trapero offers an intelligent and unorthodox take on a well worn subject. Essentially a prison drama, Lion’s Den is a surprising and sincere film that won plaudits at last year’s Cannes, Toronto and London film festivals. Martina Gusman has rightly been singled out for her performance as Julia but a brilliant supporting cast make it feel like an ensemble effort.
- 6/6/2010
- by Joe Fraser
- Pure Movies
Lourdes (U)
(Jessica Hausner, 2009, Aus/Fra/Ger) Sylvie Testud, Léa Seydoux, Elina Löwensohn. 99 mins
Handsomely photographed and coolly observant, this excursion to the French pilgrimage town manages to be both a penetrating study of the spiritual tourism racket and a genuine mystical inquiry. Testud is our central pilgrim, paralysed from the neck down and, like many others, in search of a miracle. But unlike those others, she gets one. Or does she? We're given much to think about.
No One Knows About Persian Cats (12A)
(Bahman Ghobadi, 2009, Iran) Negar Shaghaghi, Ashkan Khoshanejad. 107 mins
A suitably guerrilla-style tour of Iran's underground (often literally) music scene – a place where even gentle indie rock is considered seditious. Mostly factual and shot illegally, it's eye (and ear)-opening stuff.
The Blind Side (12A)
(John Lee Hancock, 2009, Us) Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron. 128 mins
Bullock might have got her Oscar but that doesn't make it any...
(Jessica Hausner, 2009, Aus/Fra/Ger) Sylvie Testud, Léa Seydoux, Elina Löwensohn. 99 mins
Handsomely photographed and coolly observant, this excursion to the French pilgrimage town manages to be both a penetrating study of the spiritual tourism racket and a genuine mystical inquiry. Testud is our central pilgrim, paralysed from the neck down and, like many others, in search of a miracle. But unlike those others, she gets one. Or does she? We're given much to think about.
No One Knows About Persian Cats (12A)
(Bahman Ghobadi, 2009, Iran) Negar Shaghaghi, Ashkan Khoshanejad. 107 mins
A suitably guerrilla-style tour of Iran's underground (often literally) music scene – a place where even gentle indie rock is considered seditious. Mostly factual and shot illegally, it's eye (and ear)-opening stuff.
The Blind Side (12A)
(John Lee Hancock, 2009, Us) Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron. 128 mins
Bullock might have got her Oscar but that doesn't make it any...
- 3/27/2010
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Festival de Cannes (In Competition)
Admittedly, "Lion's Den's" women-in-prison story is not an instant attraction, but it doesn't take more than a few minutes into it to realize this film is several cuts above the genre standard.
Versatile Argentine helmer Pablo Trapero shakes off the leisurely lethargy of his recent "Born and Bred" in a riveting, high-pitched drama blessed by the extraordinarily edgy performance of actress-producer Martina Gusman as a middle-class college coed who finds herself pregnant and in prison for murder. Remake rights could be attractive, though this Spanish-language film co-produced by Argentina, Brazil (with the involvement of Walter Salles) and South Korea works perfectly with its own authorial blend of police procedural, documentary realism and engrossing drama.
Julia (Gusman) wakes up one morning beside two blood-covered bodies. Her boyfriend has been stabbed to death, and his male lover, Ramiro (Rodrigo Santoro), is barely alive. Julia, pretty beaten up herself, can't remember what happened, and she and Ramiro are arrested on suspicion of murder.
This lightning-swift opener is an able hook that ushers viewers into the main body of the story, which takes place in the filthy but colorful chaos of a special prison for female inmates with babies and small children. On the outside, it could pass for a friendly place, if every mother didn't know that her child will be taken away when he or she turns 4. Trapero's fascination with the knitty-gritty horrors of this open-cell Third World jail -- whose immense dimensions are not revealed until the last scenes -- link it to a long tradition of Latin American cinema, not least his police story "El Bonaerense".
As important as the prison is as a backdrop, with its cursing, lustful, hair-pulling inmates and their hordes of tiny tots, Julia remains a solid axis for the story. Gusman, who has been involved on the production side of all of Trapero's films since "El Bonaerense", has a modern intensity that blows away the rest of the cast. She is never banal as she evolves from a helpless victim who hates her unborn child to a survivor who finds happiness in little Tomas once he is born. When her estranged mother (Elli Medeiros) suddenly turns up and tries to take him away from her, Julia brings out her claws and makes the toughness she has learned in prison pay off.
venue: Festival de Cannes (In Competition)
Cast: Martina Gusman, Elli Medeiros, Rodrigo Santoro.
Director: Pablo Trapero. Screenwriters: Alejandro Fadel, Martin Mauregui, Santiago Mitre, Pablo Trapero. Executive producer: Martina Gusman. Producers: Pablo Trapero, Youngjoo Suh, Walter Salles. Production: Matanza Cine (Buenos Aires), Fine Cut, Cineclick Asia (South Korea), Patagonik (Argentina), Videofilmes (Brazil). Director of photography: Guillermo Nieto. Production designer: Coca Oderigo. Costume designer: Marisa Urruti. Music: Rupert Gregson-Williams. Sound: Federico Esquerro. Editor: Ezequiel Borovinsky. Sales Agent: Ad Vitam, Paris. No NPAA rating, 113 minutes.
Admittedly, "Lion's Den's" women-in-prison story is not an instant attraction, but it doesn't take more than a few minutes into it to realize this film is several cuts above the genre standard.
Versatile Argentine helmer Pablo Trapero shakes off the leisurely lethargy of his recent "Born and Bred" in a riveting, high-pitched drama blessed by the extraordinarily edgy performance of actress-producer Martina Gusman as a middle-class college coed who finds herself pregnant and in prison for murder. Remake rights could be attractive, though this Spanish-language film co-produced by Argentina, Brazil (with the involvement of Walter Salles) and South Korea works perfectly with its own authorial blend of police procedural, documentary realism and engrossing drama.
Julia (Gusman) wakes up one morning beside two blood-covered bodies. Her boyfriend has been stabbed to death, and his male lover, Ramiro (Rodrigo Santoro), is barely alive. Julia, pretty beaten up herself, can't remember what happened, and she and Ramiro are arrested on suspicion of murder.
This lightning-swift opener is an able hook that ushers viewers into the main body of the story, which takes place in the filthy but colorful chaos of a special prison for female inmates with babies and small children. On the outside, it could pass for a friendly place, if every mother didn't know that her child will be taken away when he or she turns 4. Trapero's fascination with the knitty-gritty horrors of this open-cell Third World jail -- whose immense dimensions are not revealed until the last scenes -- link it to a long tradition of Latin American cinema, not least his police story "El Bonaerense".
As important as the prison is as a backdrop, with its cursing, lustful, hair-pulling inmates and their hordes of tiny tots, Julia remains a solid axis for the story. Gusman, who has been involved on the production side of all of Trapero's films since "El Bonaerense", has a modern intensity that blows away the rest of the cast. She is never banal as she evolves from a helpless victim who hates her unborn child to a survivor who finds happiness in little Tomas once he is born. When her estranged mother (Elli Medeiros) suddenly turns up and tries to take him away from her, Julia brings out her claws and makes the toughness she has learned in prison pay off.
venue: Festival de Cannes (In Competition)
Cast: Martina Gusman, Elli Medeiros, Rodrigo Santoro.
Director: Pablo Trapero. Screenwriters: Alejandro Fadel, Martin Mauregui, Santiago Mitre, Pablo Trapero. Executive producer: Martina Gusman. Producers: Pablo Trapero, Youngjoo Suh, Walter Salles. Production: Matanza Cine (Buenos Aires), Fine Cut, Cineclick Asia (South Korea), Patagonik (Argentina), Videofilmes (Brazil). Director of photography: Guillermo Nieto. Production designer: Coca Oderigo. Costume designer: Marisa Urruti. Music: Rupert Gregson-Williams. Sound: Federico Esquerro. Editor: Ezequiel Borovinsky. Sales Agent: Ad Vitam, Paris. No NPAA rating, 113 minutes.
- 5/15/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cannes film review, In Competition
Admittedly, its women-in-prison story is not an instant attraction, but it doesn't take more than a few minutes into "Lion's Den" to realize this film is several cuts above the genre standard. Versatile Argentine helmer Pablo Trapero shakes off the leisurely lethargy of his recent "Born and Bred" in a riveting, high-pitched drama blessed by the extraordinarily edgy performance of actress/producer Martina Gusman as a middle-class college girl who finds herself pregnant and in prison for murder. Remake rights could be attractive, though this Spanish-lingo film coproduced by Argentina, Brazil (with the involvement of Walter Salles) and South Korea works perfectly with its own authorial blend of police procedural, documentary realism and engrossing drama.
Julia (Gusman) wakes up one morning beside two blood-covered bodies. Her boyfriend has been stabbed to death and his male lover Ramiro (Rodrigo Santoro) is barely alive. Julia, pretty beaten up herself, can't remember what happened, and both she and Ramiro are arrested on suspicion of murder. This lightning-swift opener is an able hook that ushers viewers into the main body of the story, which takes place in the filthy but colorful chaos of a special prison for female inmates with babies and small children. On the outside, it could pass for a friendly place, if every mother didn't know that her child will be taken away when he or she turns four. Trapero's fascination with the knitty-gritty horrors of this open-cell Third World jail, whose immense dimensions are not revealed until the last scenes, link it to a long tradition of Latin American cinema, not least his own police story "El Bonaerense".
As important as the prison is as a backdrop, with its cursing, lustful, hair-pulling inmates and their hordes of tiny tots, Julia remains a solid axis for the story. Gusman, who has been involved on the production side of all Trapero's films since "El Bonaerense" and who also played in "Born and Bred", has a modern intensity that blows away the rest of the cast. She is never banal as she evolves from a helpless victim who hates her unborn child, to a survivor who finds happiness in little Tomas once he is born. When her own estranged mother (Elli Medeiros) suddenly turns up and tries to take him away from her, Julia brings out her claws and makes the toughness she has learned in prison pay off.
Unexpected touches include a sprightly opening children's song and an engaging parade of baby strollers through the prison as the proud moms escort their offspring to kindergarten class. Guillermo Nieto's hand-held camerawork mimics Julia's nervous energy and keeps the audience locked up along with her, working in symbiosis with Federico Esquerro's forcefully realistic sound design.
Cast: Martina Gusman, Elli Medeiros, Rodrigo Santoro. Director: Pablo Trapero Screenwriters: Alejandro Fadel, Martin Mauregui, Santiago Mitre, Pablo Trapero Executive producer: Martina Gusman
Producers: Pablo Trapero, Youngjoo Suh, Walter Salles. Director of photography: Guillermo Nieto Production designer: Coca Oderigo Costume designer: Marisa Urruti Music: Rupert Gregson-Willaims. Sound: Federico Esquerro. Editor: Ezequiel Borovinsky
Matanza Cine (Buenos Aires), Fine Cut, Cineclick Asia (South Korea), Patagonik (Argentina), Videofilmes (Brazil).
Sales Agent: Ad Vitam, Paris.
No MPAA reating. 113 minutes.
Admittedly, its women-in-prison story is not an instant attraction, but it doesn't take more than a few minutes into "Lion's Den" to realize this film is several cuts above the genre standard. Versatile Argentine helmer Pablo Trapero shakes off the leisurely lethargy of his recent "Born and Bred" in a riveting, high-pitched drama blessed by the extraordinarily edgy performance of actress/producer Martina Gusman as a middle-class college girl who finds herself pregnant and in prison for murder. Remake rights could be attractive, though this Spanish-lingo film coproduced by Argentina, Brazil (with the involvement of Walter Salles) and South Korea works perfectly with its own authorial blend of police procedural, documentary realism and engrossing drama.
Julia (Gusman) wakes up one morning beside two blood-covered bodies. Her boyfriend has been stabbed to death and his male lover Ramiro (Rodrigo Santoro) is barely alive. Julia, pretty beaten up herself, can't remember what happened, and both she and Ramiro are arrested on suspicion of murder. This lightning-swift opener is an able hook that ushers viewers into the main body of the story, which takes place in the filthy but colorful chaos of a special prison for female inmates with babies and small children. On the outside, it could pass for a friendly place, if every mother didn't know that her child will be taken away when he or she turns four. Trapero's fascination with the knitty-gritty horrors of this open-cell Third World jail, whose immense dimensions are not revealed until the last scenes, link it to a long tradition of Latin American cinema, not least his own police story "El Bonaerense".
As important as the prison is as a backdrop, with its cursing, lustful, hair-pulling inmates and their hordes of tiny tots, Julia remains a solid axis for the story. Gusman, who has been involved on the production side of all Trapero's films since "El Bonaerense" and who also played in "Born and Bred", has a modern intensity that blows away the rest of the cast. She is never banal as she evolves from a helpless victim who hates her unborn child, to a survivor who finds happiness in little Tomas once he is born. When her own estranged mother (Elli Medeiros) suddenly turns up and tries to take him away from her, Julia brings out her claws and makes the toughness she has learned in prison pay off.
Unexpected touches include a sprightly opening children's song and an engaging parade of baby strollers through the prison as the proud moms escort their offspring to kindergarten class. Guillermo Nieto's hand-held camerawork mimics Julia's nervous energy and keeps the audience locked up along with her, working in symbiosis with Federico Esquerro's forcefully realistic sound design.
Cast: Martina Gusman, Elli Medeiros, Rodrigo Santoro. Director: Pablo Trapero Screenwriters: Alejandro Fadel, Martin Mauregui, Santiago Mitre, Pablo Trapero Executive producer: Martina Gusman
Producers: Pablo Trapero, Youngjoo Suh, Walter Salles. Director of photography: Guillermo Nieto Production designer: Coca Oderigo Costume designer: Marisa Urruti Music: Rupert Gregson-Willaims. Sound: Federico Esquerro. Editor: Ezequiel Borovinsky
Matanza Cine (Buenos Aires), Fine Cut, Cineclick Asia (South Korea), Patagonik (Argentina), Videofilmes (Brazil).
Sales Agent: Ad Vitam, Paris.
No MPAA reating. 113 minutes.
- 5/15/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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