Fernando Ayala Movies

The well known Argentine murder case involving the murder of a young woman by a group of well-connected young men is the foundation for this political drama. The ensuing coverup by police made it impossible for the criminals ever to be brought to justice, but the dedicated efforts of protestors ensured that the governor of the province (whose son is thought to have been involved in the killing) was forced to resign after decades in power. The story of the killing, coverup, and protests is told through a series of vignettes, and the film includes some of the actual news coverage of the over sixty marches attended by irate citizens. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

The brutal kidnapping, torture, and killing of six out of seven high school students in 1976 is the subject of this powerful docudrama, a highly-charged, emotionally gripping condemnation of Argentina's military rulers at that time. One of the students survived the ordeal, and this story is based on his experiences and knowledge of what happened. These students, five boys and two girls, first led a successful campaign for a reduction in student bus fares under the rule of Isabel Peron. When the military took over the government, they laid down oppressive restrictions on student activities. These same seven students campaigned against the restrictions via grafitti and leaflets. As a consequence, policemen in the guise of civilians raided each of their homes on the same evening, brought them to hidden detention sites and proceeded to tie them up, humiliate them verbally and psychologically, blindfold them, and torture them. Their objective was to extract false confessions from them, saying they were involved with the guerrilla movement. All but one died under interrogation, none of their relatives were able to find out where they were kept, and the government blatantly denied all knowledge of the seven. If it were not for the one survivor, the truth may never have come out. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Nightmare's Passengers is based on a true story that for several months in 1981 was splashed all over Argentina's front pages. The horribly mangled bodies of a prominent married couple are discovered in the trunk of a car. The sons of the victims are interrogated, and in flashback the younger son (Gabriel Lenn) tells "all." The boys' father (Federico Luppi) was a well-connected executive and secret homosexual; the mother (Alicia Bruzzo) was an alcoholic who sought an incestuous relationship with her sons. While the film never answers the question as to who committed the murder (no verdict had been reached at the time of filming) it devotes plenty of screen time to the depraved lifestyle of the victims--and also condemns the military junta then running Argentina, which allowed certain privileged people to behave as aberrantly as they wished so long as they were loyal to the junta. Originally titled Pasajeros de Una Pesadilla, Nightmare's Passengers was based on the book by Pablo Schoklender, the real-life younger son in the actual case. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The apparent ease with which Argentina's political situation could degrade into extremists killing each other is illustrated in this interesting fictional allusion to historical reality. Suprino (Hector Bidonde), a local Peronist boss in the small town of Colonia Vela, schemes with the county mayor and a union leader to get the deputy mayor Fuentes (Federico Luppi) out of power - even though the Peronist is indebted to Fuentes. Fuentes is told that he has to fire his assistant because of the assistant's leftist sympathies - and he refuses. That evokes a harsh response from Suprino (the Peronist), who now has the police chief intervene for him. But Fuentes, rather than cave in to pressure, barricades his office, lines up men to stand by him, and gets ready for the first police assault. Leftist students then kidnap the police chief demanding that the attack on Fuentes stop - but their actions only serve to escalate the now raging conflict into a minor civil war. In the end, the film makes it clear that survival may be the only criterion determining who wins - which creates a village of losers, including the political process. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

The hotel in this story is a place where people can rent a room by the hour or by the night, depending on their budget and the women involved -- a kind of hotel known by several other slang terms in many dialects. A series of vignettes revolve around the revolving-door policy of the hotel, with characters played by Peruvian, Venezuelan, Mexican, and Chilean comedians. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

The Argentine Fridays of Eternity takes a simple romantic plot and gives it texture with a scintilla of fantasy. Thelma Biral and Hector Alterio are the lovers who pledge eternal devotion. In this case, eternity is not a affectionate exaggeration; it is, indeed, Eternity. Combining other-worldly elements with standard plot devices is not unusual in Argentine films; indeed, many viewers have come to expect it, and are disappointed if the Supernatural is not part and parcel of the package. Director Hector Olivera (A Funny, Dirty Little War, Barbarian Queen etc.) may well emerge in future references as the single most prolific and influential filmmaker in Argentina. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Reggae may come from the Caribbean, and Dixieland Jazz may come from New Orleans, but the distinctive syncopations of the Tango definitely come from Argentina. This Argentine documentary explores the relatively recent history of this distinctive Latin American musical form, pioneered by Astor Piazzolla, using film clips and interviews with key figures. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

This South American western, set in 19th-century Buenos Aires, follows the trails of a young man who must leave his home after he fatally stabs an enemy. He ends up in Montevideo where he is assisted by a prominent arms and cattle smuggler. After proving his loyalty to the smuggler, the young man is soon promoted. Before long, the young man is working independently. He becomes so cocky that he even seduces his boss's moll. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In the 1920s, workers in the far southern province of Argentina went on strike for better working and living conditions. In this film, the story of that strike is depicted. The military commander sent to investigate decides that the strikers' complaints are justified, and he signs an agreement with them. As soon as he leaves, the industrialists and landowners ignore the agreement. When the workers strike again, the owners convince the government that this strike has been caused by the subversive action of the Chilean government, and the strikers are massacred. Only after the tragedy does the military commander realize that he has been duped. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

This excellent comedy vehicle for Norman Briski finds the actor playing ten different characters in six separate stories. The first story concerns a poor young man who chases after a 1,000 peso note at a construction site of a new building. The final story has a young man reluctant to marry the daughter of his godfather until he realizes the man is a wealthy and successful butcher. The talented actor plays three women out of his ten character portrayals. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Sigmundo (Norman Briski) masquerades as a psychoanalyst in order to bed down with a bevy of beautiful women in this offbeat sex comedy. Flashbacks recall the experiences of his patients, and fantasies and dream sequences are employed throughout the film. His targets are a virgin who claims to have been raped by Martians and then by Satan and the nubile young daughter of a nymphomaniac. One woman longs to make love with her fashion-model husband, but he uses a separate bed in his egocentric pursuit not to look tired in front of the camera. Sigmundo always manages to be foiled just before the amorous moment of truth in this quirky comedy. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi