Rojo

(Rojo)
Benjamín Naishtat | Fiction, Drama, Thriller

2018 | 109 minutes | Argentina, Brazil, France, The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland

As the country faces political turmoil, Claudio is involved in a dangerous situation when he discovers a connection between a stranger and his wife's best friend's missing brother.

South America Latin American Studies Criminal Justice Family Political Science Fascism + Repression
Synopsis

What was the Argentinian mindset immediately preceding Jorge Videla’s right-wing military coup? Director Benjamín Naishtat’s darkly funny, highly stylish film immerses itself in Argentina’s collective subconscious in 1975, resulting in an x-ray image of madness and moral decline.

Set in an Argentinian provincial town, an unknown man and a crime unsettle the quiet life of a successful lawyer. It’s not that the lawyer committed the crime; rather, his looking the other way and doing nothing led to people dying.

Filmed in the style of 1970s crime dramas, Rojo can be seen as an absurd thriller and as a bitter analysis of the national indifference that led to Argentina suffering four consecutive military coups in 1976. As in Rojo, countless people disappeared in the desert, never to be seen again.

Reviews

"This subtly disturbing, queasily tense satirical nightmare from 33-year-old Argentinian filmmaker Benjamín Naishtat answers that question with a story of group neurosis and complicit wretchedness. He shows that, for those left behind, what also gradually disappeared was their peace of mind, their self-respect and their ability to communicate what was happening or how they felt: an uncanny, insidious erosion of self." — Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Citation
Main credits

Naishtat, Benjamín (film director)
Naishtat, Benjamín (screenwriter)
Sarasola-Day, Barbara (film producer)
Eibuszyc, Federico (film producer)
Grandinetti, Darío (actor)
Frigerio, Andrea (actor)
Castro, Alfredo (actor)
Cremonesi, Diego (actor)

Other credits

Director of photography, Pedro Sotero; editor, Andrés Quaranta; music, Vincent van Warmerdam.


Citation
Cataloging
Keywords
Argentina,1970s,political turmoil,lawyer,stranger,incident,dark turn,mystery,missing brother,detective,danger,suspense,corruption,societal upheaval,moral ambiguity,secrets,tension,psychological thriller,criminal justice,crime,judiciary,police reform,corrections,criminal law,judicial system,justice department,prosecution,judgement,criminal law,courts and corrections,corrections institutes,south america,south american countries,countries in south america,argentina,bolivia,brazil,chile,colombia,ecuador,guyana,paraguay,peru,suriname,uruguay,venezuela,south american politics,south american culture,south american cuisine,south american education,south america in media,south american languages,south america history,latin american studies,caribbean american studies,island studies,latin american culture,latin american history,latin american politics, caribbean american culture,caribbean american history,caribbean american politics, latin american languages,latin american and caribbean studies,hispanic american studies,hispanic people,hispanic culture,hispanic politics,family,kin,fellowship,household,immediate family,extended family,multigenerational family,multigenerational household,kinfolk,family tree,genealogy,nuclear family,modern family,family tree,political science,micropolitics,macropolitics,political theory,political education,political movements,political thinking,political criticism,poly sci,polysci,political sci,political sciences,political history,history of politics,political systems,authority,authoritarianism,dictatorship,military regime,military government,fascism,repression,oppression,political oppression,political repression,far right,far right wing,modern fascism; "Rojo"; Pragda Films;
Clips
No clips are available yet.
Festivals

Buma Music in Motion - Best Original Composition in Film; Argentinean Film Critics Association Awards - Silver Condor - Best Director, Best Supporting Actor,  Best Actor; Guadalajara International Film Festival - Best Actor; International Cinephile Society Awards - Best Picture Not Released in 2018; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Argentina - Best Director, Best Editing, Best Screenplay, Best Film, Best Actor,  Best Sound; San Sebastián International Film Festival - Jury Prize Best Cinematography, Silver Seashell for Best Director, Best Actor; Toronto International Film Festival; Rotterdam International Film Festival; Guadalajara International Film Festival; Istanbul International Film Festival

DIRECTOR: Benjamín Naishtat

NATIONALITY: Argentina, Brazil, France, The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland

YEAR: 2018

GENRE: Fiction, Drama, Thriller

LANGUAGE: Spanish

COLOR / B&W: Color

GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adults

SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE

AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE

Existing customers, please log in to view this film.

New to Pragda? Register to request a quote.

Related Films

READ MORE

The German Neighbor

El vecino alemán
Documentary, Fiction Argentina
The German Neighbor follows the steps of Adolf Eichmann’s awkward and unusual life in Argentina, and his remarkable defense at the trial in Jerusalem.
READ MORE

Chaval

Fiction Spain
Pablo, a common young guy, meets his friend Nestor at dawn. They are both waiting for the van that will pick them up. Meanwhile, Pablo’s mother doesn’t stop calling him to come home.
READ MORE

Machuca

Drama, Fiction, Classic Chile, Spain
A political and emotionally charged story, experienced by two 11-year-old boys coming from opposite ends of the social spectrum in the days leading up to the military coup in Chile.
READ MORE

NN

NN sin identidad
Drama, Fiction Peru
A powerful, nuanced look at a country’s efforts to come to terms with a dark chapter in its history.
READ MORE

The Chess Player

El jugador de ajedrez
Drama, Fiction Spain
A story of love and survival set during the Nazi invasion of France during World War II.
READ MORE

Adriana's Pact

El pacto de Adriana
Documentary Chile
As her family’s worst nightmare unfolds on screen, Lissette Orozco's Adriana’s Pact explors accounts by human rights organizations, colleagues, and the press, but....who is saying the truth? The film bridges the divide between emotion, memory, and history.
READ MORE

El Eternauta´s Wife

La mujer de El Eternauta
Documentary Argentina, Spain
Elsa Sánchez's life is evidence of the cruelty of Argentina’s repressive dictatorship, which took the lives of her husband and family.
READ MORE

Tungsten

Tungstênio
Fiction, Drama, Thriller Brazil
Based on the award-winning graphic novel Tungsten, the film follows an investigator as he unravels a web of mystery while pursuing a serial killer through a bleak cityscape.
READ MORE

The Boss, Anatomy of a Crime

El patrón, radiografía de un crimen
Drama, Fiction, Thriller Argentina, Venezuela
Based on a true story, The Boss, Anatomy of a Crime is a neo-realistic portrait of the inhumane work environment, and the power imbalances existing between worker and employer.
READ MORE

The Canine Tooth

A diente de perro
Fiction, Drama, Thriller Spain
When Darío Manzano learns that his colleagues mugged the drug lords they work for, it triggers a spiral of fateful situations forcing him to fight against the clock for survival.
READ MORE

The Fire

El incendio
Drama, Fiction Argentina
A couple withdraw a hundred thousand dollars in cash from their bank to close on their first home. The sale's postponement uncovers the nature of their love as well as their crisis.
READ MORE

Neither Hero nor Traitor

Ni héroe ni traidor
Drama, Fiction Argentina
Matías dreams of going to Spain to study music far from a dictatorship. His problems come down to convincing his girlfriend to meet him there and to get around his father’s opposition. But the playing field changes completely when the Falklands War breaks out and he is drafted along with his friends.
READ MORE

339 Amín Abel Hasbun. Memory of a Crime

339 Amín Abel Hasbún. Memoria de un crimen
Drama, Fiction, Thriller Dominican Republic
An intriguing account of the murder of Amín Abel Hasbún, a brilliant student leader in the Dominican Republic accused of kidnapping US Embassy official, J. Crowley. Hasbún was fighting against the repressive government of Dr. Joaquín Balaguer.
READ MORE

The Facilitator

El facilitador
Drama, Fiction, Thriller Chile, Ecuador, United States
A political thriller about human rights, The Facilitator is one of the most successful films to come out of Ecuador in the last few years.
READ MORE

The Silence of the Rain

O silêncio da chuva
Fiction, Thriller Brazil
Executive Ricardo is murdered in his car. Two detectives investigate, focusing on people close to the victim. As everyone involved vanishes, the case takes unforeseen twists.
READ MORE

Porcelain Horse

Mejor no hablar (de ciertas cosas)
Drama, Fiction Ecuador
Paco and his brother Luis break into their parents' house to steal a porcelain horse for drug money. Confronted by their father, a fight unfolds with chilling consequences.
READ MORE

Pantanal

Drama, Fiction, Adventure Argentina
A man flees Buenos Aires with a bag of money, chasing hints of an unpaid debt and long-lost brother on a road trip through South America.

Related Collections

Fiction Films

A compelling glimpse into Spain and Latin America's rich storytelling traditions, showcasing a blend of established directors and emerging voices. Each film highlights the depth and creativity of the region.

Number of titles: 275

SEE COLLECTION >
Our Essential 100 Titles

A hand-picked selection of our must-have films showcasing the very best of Spanish, Latin American and Latinx cinema.

Number of titles: 100

SEE COLLECTION >
Criminal Justice

A riveting selection of films that provoke conversations on topics such as wrongful convictions, systemic issues, life in prison, and the human stories behind crime and punishment.

Number of titles: 155

SEE COLLECTION >
Repression and Resistance

An exploration of Spain and Latin America’s authoritarian regimes and the movements that fought against them.

Number of titles: 116

SEE COLLECTION >
The Pragda Complete Film Collection

The essence of Spain and Latin America captured in their original language with English captions or subtitles.

Number of titles: 706

SEE COLLECTION >
Argentine Cinema Collection

Number of titles: 80

SEE COLLECTION >
Spanish Language Films

A cinematic highlight of the magic and diversity of the Spanish language.

Number of titles: 513

SEE COLLECTION >