Online Discussion: Classic Solanas: Tangos, the Exile of Gardel + The Journey

Join us as we continue our discussions of foreign, avant-garde, and experimental films available online. You will need to find and watch the films prior to our discussion. The films chosen each month are available for free on one or more platforms such as YouTube, Open Culture, vimeo, and archive.org. In some cases, the films are also available on public library streaming databases such as kanopy or Hoopla.

On July 12 we discuss two classic films by Argentine director Fernando Solanas. In Tangos, the Exile of Gardel, Argentinian exiles in Paris create a musical based on the tangos of Carlos Gardel. The Journey follows the 17-year-old Martin, who crosses Latin America on his bicycle in search of his father, a cartoonist turned anthropologist believed to be in the Amazon jungle.

Tangos, the Exile of Gardel (1985), Dir. Fernando Solanas (119 minutes)
"An exuberant mixture of pain, passion, nostalgia and high jinks, this film centers on a group of Argentinian exiles in Paris attempting to put on a musical based on the tangos of the legendary Carlos Gardel. Opting for an episodic format, Solanas constructs a serio/comic study of what exile can mean to people who still have relatives at home. But the hypnotic spell of the tangos molds old memories and future aspirations together, and the film really takes off in the musical sequences. Surprising...that after the austerity of documentaries like Hour of the Furnaces, Solanas should have adopted such a romantic, sumptuous style. The photography of Felix Monti paints a constantly beguiling visual surface as the songs and dances joyously erupt all over Paris. With music by the great modern exponent of the tango, Astor Piazzola.’” – Pacific Film Archive

The Journey (1992), Dir. Fernando Solanas (180 minutes)
“Martin spends his days in the southernmost city in the world, attending a school that looks like a prison where paranormal events happen. He has no idea what to do when he finishes school and misses his father, who abandoned him to travel. The last thing Martin knew about him was a comic that he sent from his travels through Latin America. The cold of Ushuaia, the bad relationship with his stepfather, and a tragic experience with his girlfriend will motivate him to escape to Buenos Aires. Riding a bicycle and using the comics as a clue, Martin will go in search of his father. The trip will serve to uncover the raw Latin American reality that he doesn’t know, like corruption, ideological imposition, cynical governments, labor exploitation, ignorance, and land selling. The odyssey of finding his father will turn harder, dragging him through Peru, Brazil and Colombia. Despite being deeply political, the film doesn’t fall into a realistic construction. Metaphor, irony, and magical realism appear at all times to distance the viewer. This Latin American collage, fantastic and baroque, is an allegory that invites new generations to recover the memory of popular struggles and become aware. Martin realizes that he no longer wishes to find his father, because he found his roots – his Latin American identity. – Tasteofcinema.com

Note on searching YouTube: Try searching for the director’s last name plus the name of the film you are seeking, e.g. “Murnau Faust.” When searching for a foreign film, you may need to search for it by its original-language title, (e.g. “Bergman Jungfrukällan” instead of “Bergman Virgin Spring”). If you have trouble finding a version of your film with English subtitles, add “subtitles” to your search terms. Some foreign films offer computer generated subtitles if you click on the Settings icon at the bottom of the screen. If you do not find the film you are looking for on YouTube, try searching archive.org, Open Culture, and vimeo.