August 18: Tango Shalom (2021, USA)

jeffs

Jean has recommended 2021's film "Tango Shalom".

Description:

An observant married Hasidic Rabbi grapples with moral and family dilemmas when he believes Hashem has directed him to enter a televised Tango dance contest with a woman in order to save his family's finances during a recession.

Where to Watch:

Tango Shalom is available as a $3.99 rental on Amazon or free with Amazon Prime:

https://www.amazon.com/Tango-Shalom-Jos-Laniado/dp/B09GKVC5Z2

It is also available as a $2.99 rental at Vudu:

https://www.vudu.com/content/movies/details/Tango-Shalom/1828987

Where to chat:

Discussion 8pm on August 18 at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2272006912 Meeting ID: 227 200 6912

jeffs

Some good articles about the film...

http://tribecatrib.com/content/bpc-resident-judi-beecher-stars-new-comedy-tango-shalom

Joseph Bologna co-wrote and co-produced it. He was married to Renée Taylor, who played the grandmother. Their son Gabe directed the film; his wife, Zizi Bologna co-wrote the music. Renée is good friends with Lainie Kazan, who is in the film. Jos Laniado, who plays my husband (and is also a tango dancer!) had the idea for the film. He's a member of the Chabad House in Williamsburg and one day when he was there he thought, what if a rabbi decided that he needed to dance the tango. What would he do? He and his brother Claudio co-wrote the film with Joe, and Claudio plays his brother.

https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/film/340437/tango-shalom-examines-chassidic-life-and-dancing/

The latter film’s director is Gabriel Bologna, who is well suited for the assignment as the son of a Catholic father, Joseph Bologna, and a Jewish mother, Renee Taylor.

He cast his father as the Catholic priest, and dedicated “Tango” to him after the father died during production of the film. The younger Bologna, 52, has worked as actor, director, writer, producer and cinematic graphic designer in 37 films, starting in 1973.

Making “Tango” took some six years, from 2015 to the present, due to the pandemic and other uncontrollable factors, on a budget of $1.42 million. The relatively low cost was made possible because all the required locations were provided by the respective congregations free of charge, as were the headquarters of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.