19th Portland Jewish Film Festival
TANGO, A STORY WITH JEWS
DIRECTOR: GABRIEL POMERANIEC
ARGENTINA, 2009
Gabriel Pomeraniec’s documentary presents an unknown history of an extremely popular music genre: the vital Jewish influence on the origins of tango. Eastern European Jews in the late 19th century found a safe haven in Buenos Aires, a melting pot of cultures and races, and with them, they brought the klezmer, the festive and deeply lyrical music that lies at the core of tango. Anecdotes, family memories, and forgotten stories are skillfully interwoven to present a largely untold history, including the story of the tango “Plegaria” giving solace to those shut away in concentration camps. The film is narrated by journalist and historian José Judkovski and is based upon his book of the same title. (70 mins.)
Sponsored by White Bird Dance.