By Leo Barraclough

International Features Editor

Luis Ortega's absurdist comedy "Kill the Jockey," set in the Venice competition, is set in Argentina's horse-racing community. "It's a wild, wild world," he tells Variety. "I encountered some very exotic jockeys and horse owners and I loved it. They're so crazy and exciting, and [the jockeys] risk their lives in every race."

The protagonist, Remo Manfredini, is clearly mentally damaged — he abuses drugs and alcohol to the point that we see him fall from his horse before it even leaves the gate — but he nevertheless retains the poise and flair of a matador. “There’s a lot of pride in that attitude,” says the Argentine filmmaker, whose previous film “El Angel,” about a baby-faced killer, premiered at Un Certain Regard in Cannes.