Tanghi argentini (2006)

An office clerk with a hankering to tango enlists the support of a workplace colleague as he prepares for a date. It's Christmas time and the concept of giving assumes fairy tale proportions in this beguiling modern story.

Director:

Guy Thys

Writer:

Geert Verbanck (screenplay)

Stars:

Dirk van Dijck, Koen van Impe, Wannes Cappelle

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 23 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Dirk van Dijck	...	André
Koen van Impe	...	Frans
Wannes Cappelle	...	Patrick
Ineke Nijssen	...	Gaby
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hilde Norga	...	Suzanne
Mathias Sercu	...	Elves

Storyline

A few weeks before Christmas, André, a chubby middle-aged office worker in Ghent, arranges an Internet date with a woman who tangos. Trouble is, André doesn't know how to dance, so he begs Frans, a co-worker, to teach him. Frans refuses - he's a superior type, proper, erect, immaculately, separate from the others, while Andre is a bit of a shlub. André calls Frans's bluff, calling him boring and staid, so Frans accepts the challenge. They practice long hours; the passion of the tango infuses André and when the night comes, he's ready. Frans accompanies him to a nightclub where he meets Suzanne. She and André begin to dance. Then, something goes wrong. Is this all for naught?

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Plot Keywords:

tango | office | dance | christmas | passion | 

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Genres:

Short | Comedy

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Details

Country:

Belgium

Language:

Dutch

Release Date:

15 February 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Argentiniko tango

Company Credits

Production Co:

Another Dimension of an Idea, Dreams in Motion, VAF

Technical Specs

Runtime:

14 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in The 2007 Academy Award Nominated Short Films: Live Action (2008)

User Reviews

Very Impressive Short

Tanghi argentini (2006)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Oscar-nominated short has a pudgy office clerk (Dirk van Dijck) meeting a woman on the internet and setting up a date where the two will dance the tango. The only problem is that he doesn't know the tango and must learn it in two weeks with the help of a co-worker. I caught this film on the Sundance Channel by accident but I'm glad I did because it's quite enjoyable from start to finish and extremely well made. What impressed me the most on the technical side was the 2.35:1 ratio they shot it in and how director Thys beautifully takes up every inch of the screen and fills it with some terrific images. When the big dance sequence finally arrives there's so much going on that your eyes really get a wonderful little work out. I think a lot of directors can't properly use the Scope ratio but that's certainly not the case here. The cast are all extremely good as well with van Dijck really standing out and bringing a lot of passion to his role. The entire film doesn't run too long but there's more heart here than many feature films out there. Extremely charming and worth viewing if you come across it.