Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Rodrigo Moreno

Rodrigo Moreno (born October 1972) is an Argentine film director, screenwriter, and producer. A key figure in the New Argentine Cinema, he studied at the Universidad del Cine in , where he has taught directing and scriptwriting since 1996. Moreno's debut feature, El custodio (2006), received critical acclaim and multiple awards. His films often explore themes of everyday life and social dynamics, with notable works including A Mysterious World (2011), Relatos salvajes segment (2014), and The Delinquents (2023), which premiered in the section at the . In February 2025, Moreno served on the jury of the 75th . : https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0604169/ : https://iffr.com/en/person/rodrigo-moreno : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_custodio : https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2024/interviews/crime-and-choreography-an-interview-with-rodrigo-moreno/ : https://www.cinematropical.com/cinema-tropical/filmmakers-rodrigo-moreno-and-petra-costa-take-seat-on-berlinale-jury

Early Life and Education

Family Background

Rodrigo Moreno was born in October 1972 in , . He is the son of actors Adriana Aizemberg and Carlos Moreno, both prominent figures in Argentine theater and film. His father also worked as a theater and , contributing to a deeply artistic family environment. Growing up in this creative household in , Moreno was immersed in the world of from an early age, as his parents often brought him to theater rehearsals and film sets due to the lack of childcare options. This exposure during the post-dictatorship era, following the end of Argentina's military regime in 1983, fostered his early fascination with , interpersonal dynamics, and social narratives that would later define his filmmaking. His father died in 2014, and his mother died on September 29, 2025.

Academic Training

Rodrigo Moreno pursued his formal education in filmmaking at the Universidad del Cine in , enrolling in the early 1990s and graduating from the directing program. Influenced by his family's artistic background as actors, Moreno's studies provided a structured foundation for his emerging interest in cinema. While still a student, Moreno began teaching film directing and scriptwriting at the Universidad del Cine in 1996, a role that highlighted his early proficiency and potential in the field. This dual involvement in learning and instruction marked the initial phase of his professional development within the institution. Moreno's academic training culminated in his debut , Nosotros (1993, 8 minutes), which he wrote and directed as part of his studies and which received the Best Film award at the Bilbao International Festival of Documentary and Short Films. This early work demonstrated his command of narrative techniques and earned him initial recognition in international circles.

Professional Career

Teaching and Mentorship

Rodrigo Moreno has maintained a sustained commitment to at the Fundación Universidad del Cine in Buenos Aires, where he began directing and in 1996 shortly after his own graduation from the institution's directing program. His courses emphasize practical and theoretical aspects of narrative construction, character development, and visual storytelling, fostering a rigorous approach that aligns with the experimental ethos of contemporary Argentine filmmaking. Over nearly three decades, Moreno's has shaped the skills of countless students, many of whom have gone on to produce works that extend the boundaries of independent cinema. In addition to his regular teaching duties, Moreno has actively contributed to the university's collaborative initiatives, including omnibus projects that showcase emerging talent through collective filmmaking efforts. A notable example is his involvement in Historias Breves I (1995), where he co-wrote a segment alongside other and faculty, highlighting the institution's role in nurturing group-based creative processes. These projects, often produced under the university's auspices, provide hands-on experience in production and serve as incubators for innovative short-form works, reflecting Moreno's dedication to bridging academic training with real-world application. Through his long-term mentorship at Universidad del Cine, Moreno has played a pivotal role in guiding the next generation of filmmakers, contributing to the vitality of the New Argentine Cinema movement via educational oversight and inspirational leadership. His influence is evident in the movement's emphasis on introspective, socially attuned narratives, as former students credit his guidance for honing their ability to explore subtle human dynamics on screen. This pedagogical impact underscores Moreno's broader legacy beyond directing, positioning him as a key figure in sustaining Argentina's cinematic renewal. His own early short film Nosotros (1993), produced during his student years at the university, exemplifies the foundational creative environment he now helps perpetuate.

Early Directorial Works

Rodrigo Moreno's directorial debut came with the co-direction of Mala época (1998), an omnibus film produced by the Universidad del Cine in , where he served as a student and later instructor. The project featured four interconnected segments exploring the struggles of urban youth in amid political elections, with Moreno directing the final episode, "Compañeros," which follows a sound technician entangled in a and a forbidden romance. Co-directed with Mariano De Rosa, Nicolás Saad, and Salvador Roselli, the film highlighted Moreno's emerging interest in ensemble narratives and social observation, earning recognition for its original conception at festivals. His teaching role at Universidad del Cine facilitated such collaborative efforts among emerging filmmakers. In 2002, Moreno co-directed El descanso, a feature-length drama delving into themes of personal relationships and communal living, further solidifying his collaborative approach. Working with Ulises Rosell and Andrés Tambornino, the film centers on a group of individuals who, after a roadside accident, occupy an abandoned 1930s thermal hotel and attempt to revive it, leading to conflicts that reveal interpersonal tensions and hidden histories. The narrative's focus on eccentric group dynamics and the pursuit of an alternative lifestyle showcased Moreno's skill in blending absurdity with emotional depth; the film received awards including Best Film at the Bilbao International Festival of Documentary and Short Films.) Moreno's transition toward adapted narratives began with La señal (2007), a television movie co-directed with Vivi Tellas, marking his first major engagement with literary source material. Based on R.D. Kell's The Signal, the work adapts the story into a dramatic suitable for broadcast, emphasizing theatrical elements and character improvisation within a studio setting. This project, starring Rosario Bléfari and , demonstrated Moreno's versatility in handling co-direction and adaptation, bridging his early experimental style with more structured storytelling.

Filmography

Short Films and Collaborations

Rodrigo Moreno's early work in short films established his reputation for innovative, introspective storytelling within the Argentine . His directorial debut came with the 8-minute short Nosotros (1993), a minimalist exploration of human connections that screened at international festivals. This film earned the top prize at the International Festival of Documentary and Short Films, marking an early milestone in his career. Moreno frequently collaborated on omnibus projects, contributing segments that highlighted experimental narrative forms. In Historias Breves (1995), an anthology of twelve shorts produced by the Universidad del Cine, he directed one episode amid contributions from peers like and Daniel Burman, emphasizing sparse dialogue and subtle character observation to convey emotional depth. Similarly, his segment "Compañeros" in the omnibus Mala época (1998), co-directed with filmmakers including Adrián Caetano, delved into urban alienation through non-linear vignettes. Later collaborations extended his focus on intimate, documentary-inflected shorts. As collaborating on Our Nighttime Story (2018; original title Nuestra nocturna), Moreno worked alongside Lucía Osorio and Juan Villegas on this 18-minute piece, which follows a young woman documenting her family's unspoken history to uncover generational bonds. These projects underscore Moreno's preference for collaborative experimentation and restrained techniques in probing personal and .

Feature Films

Rodrigo Moreno's feature films mark a progression from introspective character studies to more expansive examinations of social disconnection and existential drift, characterized by his signature minimalist aesthetics and long takes that emphasize everyday rhythms. His debut feature, El Custodio (The Minder, ), centers on Rubén, a dedicated whose unwavering vigilance over a government minister erodes his sense of self, portraying him as an invisible observer trapped in isolation. The narrative unfolds through Rubén's routine duties, highlighting the psychological toll of subsuming one's identity to a role, with subtle glimpses into his strained family ties and illicit side dealings. Premiering in the section of the , the film established Moreno's interest in the quiet alienation of ordinary workers within institutional structures. In Un mundo misterioso (A Mysterious World, 2011), Moreno employs parallel storylines to explore chance encounters and emotional uncertainty, following two loosely connected pairs navigating personal upheavals in . One thread tracks , a mild-mannered man adrift after his girlfriend requests a break, as he acquires a and tentatively rebuilds his life; the other depicts Panta and Gringa, strangers whose impromptu sparks fleeting intimacy amid rural landscapes. Nominated for the in the main competition at the , the film underscores themes of and the elusive nature of relationships through its non-linear, observational structure. Reimon (2014) shifts to a hybrid documentary-fiction format, chronicling the monotonous daily life of , a working-class woman commuting across suburbs to perform cleaning jobs. The film intercuts her laborious routines—bus rides, household chores, and brief interactions—with poetic interludes that evoke the drudgery of economic , using non-professional actors to blur lines between reality and performance. It premiered at international festivals including , offering a poignant lens on labor's invisibility and the quiet of marginalized lives. Una ciudad de provincia (Provincial City, 2017) adopts an essayistic approach to dissect the interconnected textures of small-town existence in Colón, Argentina, weaving vignettes of residents, street scenes, animals, and nocturnal activities into a tapestry of communal life. Without a central , it contemplates the mundane poetry of provincial rhythms—from market bustle to idle conversations—capturing how geography shapes social bonds and isolation. Screened at festivals like , the work reflects Moreno's growing fascination with collective rather than individual portraits of place. Moreno's latest feature, Los delincuentes (The Delinquents, 2023), unfolds as a sprawling laced with moral ambiguity, probing workplace through the story of Morán, a jaded bank clerk who steals a fortune and implicates his colleague Román in its concealment during his imprisonment. As Román guards the loot on a remote , unexpected alliances and romantic entanglements emerge, questioning the boundaries between crime, freedom, and self-reinvention. Premiering in the section at the , where it earned praise for its philosophical depth and deliberate pacing, the film synthesizes Moreno's recurring motifs of routine's suffocation into a genre-inflected existential inquiry.

Awards and Recognition

Early Awards

Rodrigo Moreno's entry into filmmaking garnered early recognition through awards for his short and collaborative works. His debut short film Nosotros (1993) received the Best Film award at the Bilbao International Festival of Documentary and Short Films, highlighting his initial talent in documentary-style storytelling. The omnibus feature Mala época (1998), for which Moreno co-directed the segment "Compañeros," earned a nomination for Best Debut Film at the 2000 Silver Condor Awards, acknowledging the innovative portrayal of Buenos Aires youth during economic hardship. The film also received a Special Mention at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Toulouse Latin America Film Festival, further establishing Moreno's collaborative voice in Argentine cinema. Moreno's solo feature debut El Custodio (2006) achieved significant international acclaim, competing for the Golden Berlin Bear at the , where it won the Alfred Bauer Prize for opening new perspectives in film. Domestically, the film received multiple accolades from the Argentine Academy Awards (Premios Sur), including a win for Best Debut Feature and nominations encompassing Best Director, underscoring its impact as a taut exploration of isolation and duty. It additionally claimed Best Director and Best Actor (for Julio Chávez) at the Havana Film Festival. By 2011, Moreno's Un mundo misterioso premiered in competition at the , earning a nomination for the and solidifying his reputation for minimalist, introspective narratives. The film capped a decade of rising honors for his evolving directorial style.

Festival Honors and Nominations

Moreno's film Los delincuentes (2023) received significant international recognition, including a nomination for the Prize at the 76th , where it premiered in the section dedicated to innovative works outside the main competition. The film went on to win the Grand Prix for Best Film at the 50th Film Fest , highlighting its beguiling style and exploration of existential themes. It also earned the Silver Hugo for Jury Prize and a nomination for the Gold Hugo for Best Feature at the . Additionally, at the 45th Havana International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, Los delincuentes secured awards for Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing, underscoring its technical and narrative achievements in contemporary Latin American cinema. In 2024, Moreno received the Cinema Tropical Award for Best Director for Los delincuentes. Earlier in his career, Moreno's documentary Una ciudad de provincia (2017) was selected for the official competition at the , where it was showcased in the Voices section for its observational portrait of everyday life in a provincial Argentine town. This selection affirmed his continued engagement with subtle, non-fiction explorations of social landscapes. In 2025, Moreno served as a member of the International Jury at the 75th , presided over by and including filmmakers such as and , contributing to the evaluation of films in the main competition. This role built on his prior successes at Berlin, such as the main competition presentation of El custodio (2006), reflecting his evolving stature in global cinema circuits. Moreno's work has been celebrated within the context of New Argentine Cinema for its thematic consistency in , often delving into the disquietude of ordinary workers and societal norms amid economic instability. His films, characterized by digressive narratives and picaresque elements, prioritize the art of everyday observation over conventional plotting, cementing his influence in this movement.

References

  1. [1]
    [PDF] Dandismo intempestivo. La cadencia del trabajo doméstico ... - Dialnet
    1 Nacido en Buenos Aires en 1972, Rodrigo Moreno estudió dirección en la Universidad del. Cine. Dirigió los largometrajes El descanso (junto con Ulises ...
  2. [2]
    “¿Qué es vivir la vida a través de otro?” - Ibermedia Digital
    ### Summary of Rodrigo Moreno's Family Background and Influences
  3. [3]
    Entrevista a Rodrigo Moreno, director de "Los Delincuentes"
    Mar 27, 2024 · Rodrigo Moreno – Obviamente mis padres son actores, mi padre fue director y profesor de teatro; y mis padres no tenían niñera y me dejaban en el ...
  4. [4]
    Rodrigo Moreno, director El custodio: "El cine argentino está muy vital"
    Oct 8, 2006 · Partimos hablando del origen de su interés por el cine, un medio que le fue cercano desde la infancia, porque sus padres son actores (su padre, ...
  5. [5]
    Rodrigo Moreno - IFFR EN
    Rodrigo MORENO (1972, Argentina) trained as a filmmaker at the Fundación Universidad del Cine and since 1996 has taught directing and scriptwriting there.Missing: nacido octubre
  6. [6]
    Crime and Choreography: An Interview with Rodrigo Moreno
    Jan 19, 2024 · ... filmmaker, a graduate of the Universidad del Cine in Buenos Aires. ... Before attending film school, my knowledge of cinema was rather limited.
  7. [7]
    Rodrigo Moreno - Lux Film Festival
    Born 1972 into a family of actors, Rodrigo Moreno is an Argentine writer and director. He studied film at Buenos Aires' Universidad del Cine, ...Missing: nacido octubre
  8. [8]
    Oscars 2024: Argentina–Best International Feature (by Country)
    Nov 24, 2023 · In 1993, he wrote and directed his first short, Nosotros, which won best film at the Bilbao Festival of Documentary and Short Films. The first ...Missing: filmmaker | Show results with:filmmaker
  9. [9]
    CINEASTA-Rodrigo-Moreno - Cine Latinoamericano
    Nace en Buenos Aires, Argentina en 1972. Mientras estudiaba Dirección en la Universidad del Cine, trabajó ya en varios cortometrajes.Missing: nacido octubre<|control11|><|separator|>
  10. [10]
    Rodrigo Moreno - TorinoFilmLab
    He teachs film direction at the Universidad del Cine in Buenos Aires and he belongs to the staff of the annual magazine Revista de Cine, where he publishes ...Missing: training | Show results with:training
  11. [11]
    AFF + SUNDANCE/NHK AWARD
    Born in Buenos Aires, Rodrigo Moreno graduated from the Universidad del Cine, where he has been teaching screenwriting and directing since 1996. His first ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  12. [12]
    Historias Breves 1 - Cine.ar Play
    Historias Breves 1. 1995. El concurso anual de cortometrajes para ... Rodrigo Moreno, Pablo Ramos, Ulises Rosell, Andrés Tambornino, Paula Hernández.Missing: segment | Show results with:segment
  13. [13]
    Rodrigo Moreno - MUBI
    THE DELINQUENTS. Rodrigo Moreno Argentina 2023 · PROVINCIAL CITY. Rodrigo Moreno Argentina 2017 · REIMON · A MYSTERIOUS WORLD · EL CUSTODIO · HISTORIAS BREVES I.Missing: Universidad omnibus projects collective
  14. [14]
    Films directed by Rodrigo Moreno - Letterboxd
    Rodrigo Moreno (born October 1972; Buenos Aires) is an Argentine filmmaker. He works mainly in the cinema of Argentina. According to Joel Poblete, who ...Missing: biography | Show results with:biography
  15. [15]
    Mala época | MALBA
    Un joven muchacho del interior llega a Buenos Aires en busca de un lugar donde alquilar, pero un accidente le traerá graves consecuencias. Un grupo de albañiles ...Missing: early works descanso señal<|control11|><|separator|>
  16. [16]
    A Mysterious World - The Match Factory
    Rodrigo Moreno, former student of the Universidad del Cine, was born in ... 1993: Nosotros (short). Cast. Esteban Bigliardi - Boris Cecilia Rainero - Ana<|control11|><|separator|>
  17. [17]
    El descanso | MALBA
    Un absurdo choque en la ruta provoca el encuentro entre Freddy Fassano y El Descanso, antiguo hotel de termas de los años '30, totalmente en ruinas.Missing: early works Mala época señal
  18. [18]
    La señal (2007) TV - Filmaffinity
    La señal (TV) es una película dirigida por Rodrigo Moreno, Vivi Tellas con Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Rosario Bléfari, Cristina Banegas, Vivi Tellas, ...
  19. [19]
    Rodrigo Moreno's The Delinquents to commence principal ...
    Feb 17, 2020 · ... Cinema” movement, kicked off his directing career in 1998, with an eight-minute short entitled Nosotros. Some of his most prominent works ...
  20. [20]
    Historias breves (1995) - Filmaffinity
    Rating 6.4/10 (77) Historias breves (1995) ; Screenwriter. Daniel Burman · Israel Adrián Caetano · Jorge Gaggero · Tristán Gicovate · Sandra Gugliotta · Lucrecia Martel · Rodrigo ...
  21. [21]
    Our Nighttime Story (2018) - IMDb
    Our Nighttime Story: Directed by Rodrigo Moreno, Lucia Osorio, Juan Villegas. Lucia doesn't know her grandparents. She grab her camera and start filming a ...
  22. [22]
    El custodio - | Berlinale | Archive | Programme | Programme
    Single Rubén is hardly even a protagonist in his own life. A lonely life, involving a mentally unstable sister and a ditzy niece, the sale of illegal arms and ...Missing: theme plot<|control11|><|separator|>
  23. [23]
    El Custodio - Variety
    Feb 13, 2006 · A rigorous character study shot from the p.o.v. of a minister's trusted bodyguard, “El Custodio” takes the high road of Argentine minimalism, ...Missing: theme | Show results with:theme
  24. [24]
    El custodio (2006) - MUBI
    May 29, 2024 · Ruben, a bodyguard, watches the Minister of Planning discreetly. He's a shadow, observing life but never truly understanding it.Missing: theme premiere
  25. [25]
    A Mysterious World | Reviews - Screen Daily
    Feb 16, 2011 · An adult Argentinean Napoleon Dynamite dithers through life, relationships and Buenos Aires in Rodrigo Moreno's quirkily existential but ...Missing: theme | Show results with:theme
  26. [26]
    A Mysterious World (Un Mundo Misterioso) - Cineuropa
    Ana tells Boris, “I need time.” Boris is confused. All at once, Boris is alone. Things are pretty tough for Boris whose problems begin the moment he tries ...Missing: theme | Show results with:theme
  27. [27]
    REIMON - ROW Pictures
    Rodrigo Moreno. Argentina / Germany, 2014. Feature Film. A political and ... REIMON began like just another fiction film, under a rigourous planification ...
  28. [28]
    Film Reimon - Festival Scope Pro
    Reimon 2013 directed by Rodrigo Moreno. ... REIMON began like just another fiction film, under a rigourous planification ruled by a production plan and a ...
  29. [29]
    5 Must-See Latin American Films From This Year's Latinbeat Program
    Jul 11, 2014 · Moreno does this to underscore the related themes of labor and economy in his film. Reimon (Marcela Dias) travels on buses and trains to clean ...
  30. [30]
    Provincial City (2017) - MUBI
    A world is made of different things: people, houses, dogs, stores, nightlife, trees. Like those photographers back in the early 20th century, this trip to Colón ...Missing: theme premiere
  31. [31]
    ROTTERDAM 2018: THE MONSTER THAT ENGULFS ITSELF (A ...
    Feb 7, 2018 · Other highlights were the great reception of Rodrigo Moreno's Una ciudad de provincia, and the excellent short films Between relating and use ...Missing: plot | Show results with:plot
  32. [32]
    'The Delinquents': Cannes Review - Screen Daily
    May 18, 2023 · The lives of two employees in a drab, stifling Buenos Aires bank are intertwined – and upended – when one of them, Moran (Daniel Elias), steals ...Missing: plot | Show results with:plot
  33. [33]
    'The Delinquents' Review: A Beguiling Heist Film From Argentina
    May 18, 2023 · Writer-director Rodrigo Moreno's three-hour feature follows two men involved in a bank robbery and the many tales that unfold from their crime.
  34. [34]
    Rodrigo Moreno - | Berlinale | Archive | Photos & Videos | Photos
    The International Jury awards the film El Custodio by Rodrigo Moreno with the Alfred Bauer Award, which is regularly presented to a film that “opens up new ...Missing: Berlin | Show results with:Berlin
  35. [35]
    El custodio (2006) - Filmaffinity
    Rating 6/10 (749) : Premios Sur: Mejor ópera prima. 7 nominaciones. 2006: Festival de La Habana: Mejor director; Mejor Actor (Julio Chávez). 2006: Festival de Bogotá: 3 premios ...
  36. [36]
    Los Delincuentes (The Delinquents), an interview with Rodrigo ...
    May 18, 2023 · The drama, from the “New Argentine Cinema” movement, tells the story of two bank employees who break the law to be able to start a new life.Missing: mentorship | Show results with:mentorship
  37. [37]
    'Los delincuentes' by Rodrigo Moreno and music from 'Poor Things ...
    Oct 20, 2023 · Argentine director Rodrigo Moreno's beguiling tragicomedy Los delincuentes has won the Grand Prix for Best Film at the 50th anniversary edition of Film Fest ...Missing: Mar del Plata
  38. [38]
    Tótem, Los delincuentes y Una mujer salvaje premiados en La ...
    Dec 19, 2023 · El premio a la mejor dirección, fotografía y edición fue para Los delincuentes (Argentina) escrita y dirigida por Rodrigo Moreno, que meses ...
  39. [39]
    Jan 30, 2025 Berlinale 2025: International Jury
    ... Rodrigo Moreno, Amy Nicholson, Maria Schrader. In 2025, once again a multitalented International Jury will decide who will take home the Golden and the ...
  40. [40]
    Interview: Rodrigo Moreno on The Delinquents - Film Comment
    Oct 11, 2023 · The film picks up on a mainstay theme of the New Argentine Cinema: the disquietude of workers following the collapse of the nation's economy in ...Missing: mentorship | Show results with:mentorship
  41. [41]
    Objects of Desire: Rodrigo Moreno on "The Delinquents"
    Until recently a somewhat forgotten figure of the New Argentine Cinema, director Rodrigo Moreno has, with The Delinquents, asserted himself as perhaps that ...Missing: mentorship | Show results with:mentorship