José Celestino Campusano
Filmography
José Celestino Campusano at IFFR
El arrullo de la araña
Simón, the owner of a hardware store, humiliates and constantly controls his four employees. Through this universally recognisable situation, Campusano paints a portrait of microscopic power exerted in the realm of labour without forgetting about other forms of abuse directly related to history.
78'
Argentina
IFFR 2018
El azote
The determination and dedication of a former musician who is now a social assistant in Bariloche – one of the best-known tourist resorts in Patagonia – is not enough to avoid the misfortunes experienced by local youths. This film reveals, without concessions, the picture never presented in the postcards of this town.
88'
Argentina
IFFR 2018
Brooklyn Experience
A minimalist, choral tale in which several characters typical of indie American films issue a collective statement on an era and its politics. The register is essentially maximalist − everything is shown in 360 degrees, establishing an aesthetic possibility which could be called the 'expansion of the field'. VR experience!
60'
USA
IFFR 2018
Fango
Two friends decide to form a 'tango-trash' band. The woman of one of these friends is kidnapped by the leader of a female gang, bringing consequences in its aftermath. This all happens in the precarious urban regions surrounding the European-like city of Buenos Aires; in these areas everything resembles the universe of Western films.
107'
Argentina
IFFR 2018
Fantasmas de la ruta
A microscopic tale about the trafficking of women, from the viewpoint of Campusano's universe. Including Vikingo and his bikers, who try to rescue Antonella, who has been kidnapped and sold to a brothel in northern Argentina. A rigorous narration with several subplots in which the narrative craft of this director gets to shine fully.
198'
Argentina
IFFR 2018
Legión – Tribus urbanas motorizadas
Biker groups' love of motorcycles and travelling free on the roads is much more than just a hobby for disenfranchised men and women; what shapes them is a secret ancestral memory, as suggested in the interviews at bikers' parties.
61'
Argentina
IFFR 2018
El perro Molina
Perro Molina, Calavera, and Natalia are probably the best three characters in Campusano's filmography, together with Vikingo. In this story of prostitution, thievery and revenge, friendship is a supreme value and love a modest redemption.
87'
Argentina
IFFR 2018
Placer y martirio
A woman, married with a daughter, loses control over herself after going wild because of her erotic passion for a mysterious businessman. Campusano's unexpected incursion into the world of the rich somehow entails a parody of some TV representations of the lives of wealthy people, although its main concern is to associate eroticism and vampirism.
101'
Argentina
IFFR 2018
El sacrificio de Nehuén Puyelli
Unjustly accused and imprisoned for murder, a Mapuche medicine man is sent to a penitentiary in the tourist resort of Bariloche. During his imprisonment, he establishes a bond of trust with another inmate who is close to being released. Using these two motifs, Campusano sets in motion a tale about power, racism and class struggle.
87'
Argentina
IFFR 2018
Vikingo
Vikingo, a man of his word, stands out and shines in the diverse biker community. He helps a stranger, Aguirre, who also loves motorcycles: sufficient reason for Vikingo to offer his loyalty and hospitality. As they live in a time of transitions, they will have to face life-and-death confrontations.
85'
Argentina
IFFR 2018
Vil romance
Roberto is young, unemployed and has nowhere to sleep. By chance he meets Raúl, a man many years his senior who could be his father, but with whom he begins a problematic love relationship. Homosexual love within the codes of the 'primitive' peripheral urban area of Buenos Aires is only one layer in a fascinating portrait of a culture with different rules and values.
105'
Argentina
IFFR 2018
Hombres de piel dura
The end of an Argentinian love affair between a farmer’s son and a preacher. For one it means freedom, for the other punishment.
96'
Argentina
IFFR 2019
La secta del gatillo
In this VR project by José Campusano (he had a retrospective at IFFR in 2018) you step straight into the shady world of corrupt police officers in Buenos Aires.
59'
Argentina
IFFR 2019