The Custodian

At the beginning of the twenty-first century Rodrigo Moreno emerged as one of the key figures of New Argentine Cinema, alongside directors such as Lucrecia Martel and Lisandro Alonso. Characterized by minimalist yet refined forms and uncompromising portraits of contemporary reality, these films quickly gained international recognition.

The Custodian follows Rubén, a bodyguard assigned to protect a government minister. His job demands constant vigilance, patience, discretion and loyalty – and above all the ability to remove any obstacle from his employer’s path. At the same time, he must remain invisible. Rubén is the minister’s shadow in both public and private life. Quiet and solitary, he lives alone, and his life seems precisely structured around duty. Yet from time to time his face reveals a fleeting tension, a hint that the carefully maintained order may soon collapse.

Piotr Kobus

Rodrigo Moreno (b. 1972) – Argentinian filmmaker born and based in Buenos Aires. His films were awarded and exhibited in several film festivals. His work was also exhibited at MoMA, Guggenheim Museum, Anthology Film Archives and Lincoln Center (USA), Centre Pompidou (France) and Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Germany). In 2017, the Ibertigo foundation from Spain organized a retrospective of his work in Las Palmas. Another retrospective of his work was held in summer 2019 at Wolf Kino of Berlin. His film The Custodian won the Alfred Bauer Award in Berlinale and the award for the best Latin American script at Sundance. His following film A Mysterious World was also invited to the official competition in Berlinale. He teaches Film Direction at the Universidad del Cine of Buenos Aires.

23rd New Horizons IFF Catalogue

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