Santiago Mitre Brings a New Political Thriller to Netflix Starring Peter Lanzani and Verónica Llinás
EXCLUSIVE: Oscar-nominated director Santiago Mitre is set to create a political thriller based in Argentina for Netflix, featuring actors Peter Lanzani and Verónica Llinás. Mitre, recognized for his work on Argentina, 1985, will both write and direct the yet-to-be-titled film, which draws inspiration from historical events.
Filming is scheduled to begin in March, with locations primarily in and around Buenos Aires. Early plot details reveal that the narrative centers on a high-ranking officer who infiltrates groups advocating for the release of detained relatives. This story emerges from Argentina’s dark period under military rule from 1976 to 1983, during which tens of thousands of people disappeared. The aforementioned groups represented a new form of civil resistance against the dictatorship that governed the nation.
Mitre’s exploration of Argentina’s historical landscape is not new. His previous film, the critically acclaimed legal drama Argentina, 1985, followed two lawyers working to prosecute members of the military dictatorship. This film premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, where it won the Fipresci Prize.
“ This film reconstructs a real, specific moment, and does so from the inside, following ordinary people in an extreme situation,” Mitre stated about the upcoming Netflix project. Co-written with Mariano Llinás, he added, “It does not attempt to encompass an entire era, but rather to observe how violence seeps into everyday life. A story that reveals the most intimate betrayal and the most powerful resistance. A thriller based on real events, where what is most unsettling is that nothing seems extraordinary—until it’s too late.”
Lanzani, who played one of the lawyers in Argentina, 1985 alongside Ricardo Darín, reunites with Mitre for this project. While details about his character remain uncertain, he hinted that he is taking on one of the darkest roles of his career. “Accepting this role means embracing discomfort from day one,” Lanzani explained. “It’s a character that requires understanding real mechanisms of manipulation and betrayal, not caricatures. The responsibility lies in neither softening nor exaggerating it, but making it believable. Preparing for it involves working on the trust and mistrust someone like him generates—and accepting that telling this story also carries an ethical weight.”
Llinás will portray a mother searching for her son, a role she views as both a responsibility and a privilege. “I approach the character from her humanity, not from what she represents,” she noted. “I’m interested in her clarity, her determination, and the way she transforms pain into action. It’s a story about collective courage, but also about very specific personal decisions.”
The production will be handled by Buenos Aires-based La Unión de los Ríos and Paris-based Maneki Films, both of which previously collaborated with Mitre on Pequeña Flor (Little Flower). Producers for the new project include Agustina Llambi Campbell, Mitre, and Didar Domehri.
Recently, Netflix has been increasingly investing in Argentine cinema, with projects involving notable figures such as Juan José Campanella, Ricardo Darín, and Diego Peretti.
