kms-64510

Ariel: Back to Buenos Aires (2022)

Dance of Life

I really enjoyed this stylish film about family and tango. Director Alison Murray and her team have crafted a moving tale about the reverberations of Argentina's dirty war of the 70's and 80's for the generations that followed.

Canadians Davie and his sister Diana are both a mess, each in their own way. On their first trip to Buenos Aires, city of their birth, the pair discovers tango culture in all its sensual glory, and, eventually, some dark and shocking family secrets.

While the human action veers into melodrama on occasion, tango is such an apt metaphor for navigating the bumps and challenges of life, and the imperative to follow your heart and just keep dancing. Scenes set in the city's milongas (e.g. La Glorieta) are some of the best in the film, with social details, distinctive music and the swirling movement of tango all lovingly captured. I was also moved by the spotlight Murray shines on the Abuelas de la Plaza de Mayo and the work they are doing to find and help the lost children of Argentina's disappeared. Family, tango - such a rich mix in the hands of this director.