Whisky Romeo Zulu

Colour, 35 mm
Argentina, 2004, 105 min
Section: Worried About Work
Oficiální stránky: www.mk2-catalogue.com

Synopsis

Should profit outweigh safety? This courageous critique of civil aviation after deregulation, a whistle-blowing thriller of the highest order, offers a tense depiction of events leading to the crash of a Linea Aerea Privada Argentina 737 in Buenos Aires in 1999. The leading character’s childhood dreams of flying are shattered by a reality completely different from what he expected. As a pilot, his insistence on following safety regulations earns him the enmity of higher ups in the corporation who continually pressure him to cut corners. Soon colleagues who need to keep their jobs shun him. It’s achingly clear where the broken equipment, empty fire extinguishers and intimidated workers will lead - it’s a matter of when rather than if an accident will take place. Mirroring the main character’s dilemma is the story of a federal prosecutor investigating the case who resists physical threats to prove the crash cannot be explained by mere pilot error.

About the director

Enrique Piñeyro (b. 1956, Genoa, Italy) worked as a professional pilot for Linea Aerea Privada Argentina (LAPA) and accident investigator for the pilots’ association before becoming an actor. In fact, he was the pilot who blew the whistle on LAPA, denouncing the airline for its lax safety measures and predicting a crash. He has appeared in such films as Daniel Burman’s Waiting for the Messiah (2000), Alejandro Chomski’s Sleeping in the Sun (2003) and Marco Bechis’s Garage Olimpo (1999) and Sons and Daughters (2001). Whisky Romeo Zulu (2004) marks his feature directing debut. He is also the writer, producer and star. The film won awards for: Best Director, Lleida Latin American FF; Best Film, Biarritz IFF; Best Feature Debut, Havana FF; Best Film and Audience Award, Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema; and Best Actor, Viña del Mar IFF.