Synopsis

Argentina, the late 1970s in the midst of a dictatorship. Private banker Yvan (Fabrizio Rongione) arrives with his wife from Geneva to replace a colleague who has disappeared in military-ruled Buenos Aires. Moving through a society under surveillance, he finds himself untangling a sinister web of colonialism, high finance, and a nation’s “Dirty War”.

A remarkably assured debut from Swiss writer-director Andreas Fontana, AZOR is a riveting look at international intrigue worthy of John le Carre or Graham Greene.

Critics Views

“Azor itself is a code word meaning “to not say too much” or “to keep one’s cards close,” a trait that the film and its protagonist so excel at, viewers will be kept guessing until the last moment.” 
The Playlist

“Pure evil is all around in this unnervingly subtle, sophisticated movie; an eerie oppression in the air.”
The Guardian

“The striking feature film debut from Andreas Fontana brings a prickly thriller sensibility to the closed world of high finance and a piquancy to the phrase ‘dirty money’.”
Screen Daily

“The film seldom wavers from its singular idea and feeling; tonally, it’s a stroll across a plateau by design, but it teeters constantly over that plateau’s edge.”
Indiewire

“Like the intelligent performances — both Rongione and Cléau are standouts — and the terrific art direction, the film’s design reinforces an exquisite, level-headed decorum about to be smashed by a chillingly cruel monster.”
Variety

“With its elegantly restrained cinematography, exquisitely understated performances, and quietly sumptuous production design, Azor embodies the same well-mannered urbanity as its protagonist” S
lant

Awards

London Film Festival Nominee – Sutherland Award: First Feature Competition (Andreas Fontana)
Berlin Film Festival Nominee – Encounters Award: (Andreas Fontana)

Film Rating

IMDb
 Critics: 88%  Audience 65%

Rotten Tomatoes
Critics positive review 100%   Audience Liked It 60%

 Stockbridge Audience Score: 67%

Audience Comments

Fascinating but incomprehensible
Very well made film but very obscure. There was a strong message about corruption but the context was confusing Would have enjoyed a post show discussion to work out what was going on! I liked the trilingual presentation.
Found it slow and tedious and difficult to follow
Disappointingly weak storyline. Poor acting. Dark and low quality filming. Didn’t live up to pre film description.
Interesting to have a two foreign languages film
Scary that the only time he smiled was after the murky meeting in the jungle! Swiss Private Banking??? Really???
Good to view a film that is in a foreign language.
Very enigmatic! Think I understood the ending.
Very enigmatic but with a great sense of impending menace and danger.
So well crafted but just not enough info to make the story line clear. To have held my attention when I had so little understanding of the plot must have meant that it had style!
An unacknowledged straight lift from Conrad’s Heart of Darkness but none the worse for that
Interesting film with a powerful message that came through in a pleasingly understated way. Great music and I liked the structure in terms of a series of ‘acts’ as in a play. But a frustrating film. It finished at a point it seemed about halfway through. And various dead ends throughout.
So very good. Thought provoking, disturbing content which left us discussing the theme, characters and their motivations. More films like Azor please!
An obscure plot made difficult to identify the plot. It becomes clearer when you read the additional information about the film.
I found the film very interesting. it gave an insight into the world of private banking. The scenes showing the lifestyle enjoyed by the wealthier residents of Buenos Aires were very atmospheric and reminded me of the visits we made to Argentine friends in Buenos Aires some decades ago.
beautiful thought provoking but maybe just too obscure and convoluted. And rather too slow. maybe too subtle
loved the various languages and authentic feeling settings
Would have given it excellent for cinematography and quality of acting, but the screenplay was far too enigmatic for it to be an all round enjoyable experience
Interesting locations, but unengaging characters or plot
Good to be challenged by a film. Excellent acting and cinematography
Intriguing. Thought provoking.
Reflective, unusual topic, a study in ethics
Hard to work out what was happening at first with many characters referred to but it became clearer at the end (the Programme Notes were helpful)