Tony Manero is set in Santiago de Chile, 1978 during Pinochet's dictatorship. Raúl Peralta (Alfredo Castro), a man in his fifties, is obsessed with Tony Manero, the character played by John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. Raúl leads a small group of dancers regularly performing at a bar located in the outskirts of the city, and every Saturday evening, he unleashes his passion for the film's music by imitating his idol. His dream of becoming a successful showbiz star is about to become a reality when the national television station announces a Tony Manero impersonating contest. His urge to reproduce his idol's likeness drives him to commit a series of crimes and misdemeanours. In the meantime, his dancing partners, who are involved in underground activities against the regime, are persecuted by the government's secret police.

Tony Manero is a compelling story about loss, identity and obsession in Chile's recent history. Chilean director Pablo Larrain shows a strong use of cinematic technique in only his second feature. The raw, hand-held camerawork and use of extreme, tight close-ups render the film claustrophobic and tense to the point of breaking – a leaden atmosphere that he unremittingly drives all the way through to the shattering conclusion. Tony Manero is a brave, multi-layered thriller that confronts one of the darkest chapters in modern Chilean history – tragic, hopeless, blackly humorous and utterly compelling.

Widely acclaimed on its cinema release, Tony Manero has been announced for a UK DVD release on 28th September 2009 by Network at the RRP of £19.99. Extra features are as follows:

• Interview with Alfredo Castro at the Institute of Contemporary Art;
• Introduction booklet.