El Bonaerense

Colour, 35mm
Argentina, 2002, 97 min
Section: Forum of Independents

Synopsis

35-year old Zapa is a regular, hard-working guy, a locksmith living in rural Argentina. When his boss asks him to do a special job for some special clients, Zapa agrees – he has no choice. They break into a drugstore and Zapa cracks a safe. The boss disappears and very soon Zapa becomes a main suspect. To avoid prison, he has to leave his birthplace for the concrete wastes of Buenos Aires, where he on advice of his uncle, a police inspector, signs up as a police cadet. After months of hard training, he finally graduates. He starts to discover how the corruption works and slowly he becomes a small part of the system. Soon there´s no going back.

About the director

Pablo Trapero was born in 1972 in San Justo, a suburb of Buenos Aires. He studied architecture and film. He worked as an assistant director and editor on several productions. He has made two short films: Mocoso malcriado/Spoilt Brat (1992/3) and Negocios/Shops (1995). His feature debut, Mundo grúa, was shot in 1999. In 2 000 he made Naikor, in 2002 El Bonaerense.