Café de los maestros (2008)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Miguel Kohan

Writers:

Miguel Kohan (writer)
Gustavo Santaolalla (writer)

Release Date:

26 June 2008 (Argentina)

Genre:

Documentary | Musical

Plot:

Interviews with the musicians and singers from Argentina's golden days of Tango. |

Plot Keywords:

Tango | Buenos Aires

Awards:

7 nominations

Cast

Ubaldo Aquiles De Lio	...	Himself (as Ubaldo De Lío)
Aníbal Arias	...	Himself
Ernesto Baffa	...	Himself
Emilio Balcarce	...	Himself
Oscar Berlingieri	...	Himself
Gabriel Chula Clausi	...	Himself
Juan D'Arienzo	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jorge 'El Portugués' da Silva	...	Himself
Emilio De La Peña	...	Himself
Carlos Di Sarli	...	Himself (archive footage)
Leopoldo Federico	...	Himself
Oscar Ferrari	...	Himself
Carlos García	...	Himself
Juan Carlos Godoy	...	Himself
Carlos Lázzari	...	Himself
José Libertella	...	Himself
Virginia Luque	...	Herself
Osvaldo Montes	...	Himself
Mariano Mores	...	Himself
Alberto Podestá	...	Himself
Osvaldo Pugliese	...	Himself (archive footage)
Osvaldo Requena	...	Himself
Lagrima Rios	...	Herself
Horacio Salgán	...	Himself
Gustavo Santaolalla	...	Himself
Atilio Stampone	...	Himself
Aníbal Troilo	...	Himself (archive footage)

Also Known As:

Café dos Maestros (Brazil)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA | Brazil | UK | Argentina

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color | Black and White

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | South Korea:All | Netherlands:AL | France:U

Filming Locations:

Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina

Company:

Lita Stantic Producciones

Trivia:

Producer and composer Gustavo Santaolalla admits that, prior to "Café de los Maestros", his knowledge of classic/vintage tango music was very limited. His idea with the film was to learn the musical roots and traditions of the genre as well as to pay tribute to some of the great stalwarts (composers, arrangers, musicians, singers, most of them pushing or past 80 years old) of tango music.

Soundtrack:

Suite de Tangos: Al Flaco Paz/Capricho Otoñal/Preludio Nochero

Transcending tango music but a cursory glance at the art of tango

CAFÉ DE LOS MAESTROS is not simply a live performance given by the veteran tango masters at the sumptuous Teatro Colón. It is an introduction to the once globally-popular form of music and dance, and an account of its impacts on the emotions of the remaining Argentinean tango stars of the golden age (the 1940s and 1950s). Contrasting Buenos Aries' past (through archive footage) and present (young couple kissing and tourists on the crowded streets), this film yields a sense of nostalgia. The ending in which a musician plays alone amid the vastness of the Teatro Colón, in stark contrast to the earlier festive boisterousness, makes the film a poignant one with similarities to Wenders' Buena Vista Social Club. The music gives us access to solitary artists' thoughts. The frequent jump-cuts between the musicians' on-stage performance and off-stage studio scenes, linked by the tango melody, paint a humorous and amiable picture of these extraordinary artists. But more context (the Montevideo part, and the dance element, is neglected) would help connect the fragmentary narrative of this music-driven documentary.

This film, however, is entertaining and is for everyone, as those uninterested in the musicians will quickly be captivated by their legendary performance at the Teatro Colón. The transcending power of the concert itself makes this documentary a must-see. It is also a valuable cultural project initiated by the Argentinean-American Gustavo Santaolalla and touching testament to the resilience of the human spirit of which tango is an indispensable constituent. Vive la música!