AFM Hidden Gem: ‘Kill the Jockey’ Offers a Surreal Meditation on the Nature of Identity

AFM Hidden Gem: ‘Kill the Jockey’ Offers a Surreal Meditation on the Nature of Identity

As a devoted cinephile, I can wholeheartedly attest that Luis Ortega is a visionary filmmaker whose work transcends the boundaries of conventional storytelling. His latest masterpiece, “Kill the Jockey,” is not just a movie; it’s a journey into the complexities of identity and self-discovery, wrapped in a surrealistic, gender-bending narrative that challenges our perceptions.


In the process of seeking funding for his newest film, the unconventional and gender-twisting “Kill the Jockey”, Luis Ortega encountered those words, “It’s not for us,” quite frequently.

Despite the acclaim Ortega’s works had garnered in Argentine cinema, starting with his debut film “Caja Negra” in 2003, and even though “El Angel” contended in Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2019, I found his latest film, “Kill the Jockey“, simply too abstract for my taste. This movie revolves around a jockey whose personality, already fractured by past traumas, drug abuse, and alcoholism, undergoes multiple transformations following a racing accident and its subsequent head injury.

“This movie is not pitchable,” Ortega admits.

A possible way to rephrase the sentence in a more natural and easy-to-read manner: “Another possibility for all those scenes? ‘Pineapple Head’ – that was the title of the movie, Ortega explains, hinting at a homeless man in Buenos Aires who stood out with his unique attire (a fur coat, one sandal, one woman’s high-heeled shoe, carrying a handbag, and sporting a giant pineapple-shaped bandage on his head) that partially inspired the film.

Ortega commented, “It works better in Spanish: ‘pineapple head.’ That’s something I reluctantly let go because everyone kept telling me, ‘Luis, you want to make this movie. No one, absolutely no one, wants to make it. But if you call it ‘Pineapple Head,’ you definitely won’t be making this film at all.’

Ortega yielded on the film’s title, but ultimately had the final victory. The movie “Jockey” clinched the Horizons Award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival following its screenings in competition at the Venice International Film Festival. Protagonist Pictures is managing sales during the American Film Market.

Ortega refused to budge on his conception of Remo Manfredini (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart) and his surreal quest for self-discovery, which encompasses dodging his criminal overlord, constantly weighing himself at pharmacies, and metamorphosing into a feminine inmate called Dolores. The movie “Jockey” doesn’t provide simple solutions about the essence of identity; instead, it seems that Manfredini’s story unfolds like a mystical wheel, with each rotation leading to the demise of one persona and the emergence of another – and hopefully, each new character brings us closer to uncovering his true self.

In essence, each character we create can feel like a confinement. Regardless of the character you develop, you’re trapped; ensnared within the definition of what that character represents,” Ortega explains. “Therefore, I strongly believe that to achieve freedom, you must eliminate every single one of your characters.

Ortega drew motivation from an obscure novel by Jack London, titled “The Star Rover,” published in 1915. This book tells the story of Darrell Standing, a university professor who is imprisoned for life at San Quentin State Prison and forced to wear a painful device called “the jacket.” In this state of unbearable discomfort, he enters a trance-like state and relives some of his past lives.

He’s overflowing with joy, for he declared, ‘My immortality cannot be extinguished, my immortality cannot be choked, no matter the pain inflicted upon me.’ This resonated deeply with me, as I believe it captures the essence of [Manfredini]. He transforms into a character that embodies various aspects – a man, a jockey, a drug addict, a wanderer, a woman, a street kid’s mother – all these roles seem real and potentially true.

“I don’t know if they’re real,” he adds. “But they’re true.”

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2024-11-06 22:54