By Rachel Galvin

The passionate and romantic music of Tango plays a pivotal role in the film ‘Adiós Buenos Aires.’ Playing its melodies, imbued with Argentinean history and culture, brings together a group of friends who find solace and sustenance through its rhythms. Their music is set in contrast to the backdrop of the social unrest in the outside world. 

The movie is set during the 2001 economic crisis and everyone is struggling. There is rioting, looting and people clanging pots and pans in the streets. People are hungry, barely making ends meet. The stress is palpable, and people are leaving the country. Those faithful to Argentina no matter the cost classify those who emigrate as traitors. 

Julio Farber, played by Diego Cremonesi, is a bandeneon player in the band, and he finds himself in the middle of conflicts on all fronts. With his brothers in music, he too appears to commiserate with the faithful, but secretly he has made other plans – to emigrate to Germany. 

He had experienced the strife of daily life, struggling to make it as a musician, shoe salesman and divorced dad. But leaving, he finds, is not so easy. The dominoes are not falling into place for him. In contrast, one by one, everything is falling apart. He has battles on the homefront with his daughter, problems with his bandmates over his decision to leave and one final blow delivered by the government enough to make him question whether he ever will be able to leave. He also finds himself hit – quite literally – by another persistent conflict … a mouthy female taxi driver who becomes entangled in his life in an unexpected way.

Another reason for Farber not to leave is the newest addition to their band, an older man, who has found his own new lease on life by being a part of the group. Farber leaving threatens to upend their future.

Will this man torn asunder by circumstances beyond his control steer the ship toward brighter shores and escape his current peril or will he stand against a  sea of troubles in hope to end them? Find out this weekend when the film comes to South Florida for a series of special screenings. 

The film will be shown on Friday, May 10 at the Coral Gables Art Cinema, at 260 Aragon Ave. in Coral Gables, FL at 7 p.m. There will be a Special Tango Showcase performed by Rocio Leguizamón and German Filipeli. For more information, visit www.gablescinema.com.

On Saturday, May 11, the film will be shown at Cinema Paradiso, at 2008 Hollywood Blvd, in Hollywood, FL, with a reception and screening. Then, on Sunday, May 12, the film will be shown at Savor Cinema, at 503 SE 6 Street, in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. For more information, visit www.fliff.com.

Director German Kral said, “My hope and the hope of all my cast and crew is that ‘Adiós Buenos Aires’ will move and entertain the audience, and bring them to tears and to laughs. [Considering] the reactions of the audience in New York, I have the feeling that we achieved what we wanted. People left the cinema with tears in the eyes and a beautiful smile in their faces.”

Photos courtesy of Outsider Pictures II LLC

By Rachel Galvin

Ladies in fine hats and men in their finery all came out to celebrate the 150th run for the roses at Savor Cinema in Ft. Lauderdale on May 4. Handsome horses and glamorous ladies greeted guests ready for photo opps on the red carpet before they went onto the patio to partake in the fun.

The annual derby party held on the patio included an open bar, cuisine and live entertainment. People could have a mint julep, dance and buy a raffle ticket to vote for their favorite horse to possibly win a prize. Then, once the horses lined up, people came inside to watch the race. And it was a photo finish with Mystik Dan winning in the end. Also, prizes were given out for the winning horse and also best dressed male and female and best hat. The event was sold-out and the packed crowd had a wonderful time.

This is one of Savor Cinema’s premier events every year. Savor Cinema is the headquarters for the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival. But they also have films year-round. For more information, visit www.fliff.com.

Ever wish you could turn back time? If you could only find a way… Well, you can at Studio 54 Rewind!

Step onto the dance floor at this disco party at DAER Nightclub at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood on Saturday, May 18, from 6 – 10 p.m.

All the cool kids will be there… and so will the stars. Enjoy performances by Michael Dean as Cher and Velvet Lenore as Donna Summer. Grab gourmet bites or a delicious drink at the open bar, take some photo ops and get into the groove!

Proceeds from the event benefit FLITE Center programs and services, which provide young adults with resources and support to help them transition to independent living. FLITE Center is a one-stop resource center offering all supportive services to youth aging out of foster care, chronically homeless youth, human trafficking survivors, and LGBTQ+ youth.

“Last year’s STUDIO 54 fundraiser was a smashing success so we are rewinding back and planning another amazing event,” said Christine Frederick, FLITE Center CEO. “ We can’t wait to collaborate with Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood to create this next chapter which will raise much needed funds for the important work that we do at FLITE Center.”

“STUDIO 54 Rewind” co-chairs are Susan Renneisen, vice president of community affairs and special events at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, and Julie Williamson-Bresset, senior vice president and private client advisor with Bank of America.

Frederick added, “On behalf of all of us at FLITE Center, we offer our sincere thanks to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and our committed partners, both companies and individuals, for their ongoing support.

“STUDIO 54 Rewind” is presented by Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and sponsored by Memorial Healthcare System, Bank of America, Broward Health, Waterfall Bank, Walgreens, SouthState Bank, Synovus, GPR | Goodman Public Relations, OUTClique, Coldwell Banker Realty Cares Foundation, Dex Imaging, GrayRobinson, Premiere Aircraft Sales, Strategic Benefits and Tower Club. Media sponsors are Lifestyle Media Group and South Florida Business & Wealth. In-kind sponsors include Muscle Vodka, Funky Buddha Brewery, Lyres Prosecco, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Papa’s Pilar Rum Ernest Hemingway, Southern Glazer Wine & Spirits, Todd’s Catering and Covar Global Marketing.

General admission tickets start at $150; VIP tickets are $250 each and can be purchased at flitecenter.org/Rewind54.

For more information on the FLITE Center, visit flitecenter.org.

ABOUT FLITE Center  

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By Rachel Galvin

Mr. Haffmann (Daniel Auteuil) is a well-respected Jewish jeweler, married with children. Being in Paris under Nazi occupation, he read the writing on the wall and decided to get his family out of town as soon as possible. He asked them to go to safety and he would follow after deciding what to do with his jewelry shop. In the first twist of fate, he asks his employee (Gilles Lellouche)  for help, a move that would change the employee’s life as he took over the store “temporarily,” moving above the store with his reluctant wife (Sara Giraudeau).

The problem begins when Mr. Haffmann finds his escape would not be so simple and he has to come back to the store and be sequestered in the basement while awaiting a chance to leave, hiding from the Nazis, who pay special interest in the newly popular store. 

As time goes by, the employee’s change of fortune also changes his personality from a meek dedicated employee to aggressive and greedy, asking everyone around him to make difficult choices, leading to betrayals and multiple surprises.

With skilled acting, the story is told with finesse. It is in French with English subtitles. The darkness of the tale and intricacy of everything from the jewelry to the complicated situation they find themselves in is told through lighting and cinematography.

This masterfully crafted award-winning motion picture from Menemsha Films opens December 22 at Movies of Delray, at 7421 W. Atlantic Ave., and Movies of Lake Worth at 7380 Lake Worth Road.

For more information, visit www.menemshafilms.com and look under the film’s title.

By Rachel Galvin

Liyah Mitchell in KOKOMO CITY, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

Unapologetically who they are, the women and men featured in “Kokomo City” tell an intriguing story … their own. The documentary, shown in black and white, features the story of four black transgender sex workers in Atlanta and New York City, and some others who have something to say about the issue.

In the film, the discussion covers many issues from their perspective — why someone becomes trans, what it takes to be trans, what they encounter and how far they would go to live their lives. But also it includes who is attracted to a trans woman and who is not, and talks about transphobia, as well as how they fit into the culture around them.

The life is a hard one but these women live it to the best of their ability, facing the slings and arrows of their outrageous fortune but standing against their sea of troubles one day at a time in an effort to boldly be themselves and simply to survive. They face everything from discrimination, to abuse, to downright violence. Some, like Koko Da Doll, pay the ultimate price, as she was killed by gun violence after the film was finished and it is dedicated to her.

The women discuss the types of relationships they have had as escorts and in their personal lives, as well as the type of men who are attracted to them, and how each type reacts differently. They also talked about some of the responses they get to them in public and among their families.

Presenting as women is not that easy. It requires hormones, often electrolosis, makeup, wigs, eyelashes, implants and even more extensive surgery. Each woman has to decide for themselves what is best. We get an inside look to what makes these women who they are.

The topics discussed are told in an intimate way, as if the viewer is a new friend in the living room or next to them in the car told something private in confidence. These are the types of stories many of us never get to hear. The film opens up the world of a group that is often unseen, unheard and really unknown. The frank conversations allow for a dialogue and break the stigma surrounding the word transgender in a new and groundbreaking way.

The stories are interspersed with beautifully filmed b-roll showing everything from the ordinary, like an egg being cooked, to the beautiful, like a dancer giving it his all. Showing how there is beauty in the mundane and how the lives of these people who are often discounted are not only worthy but beautiful in their own way.

Be aware that these stories are raw and real, and include graphic topics from sex to violence, and that includes plenty of profanity and also nudity.

The movie was directed by Miami native D. Smith, who is a two-time Grammy-nominated producer, singer and songwriter and also made history as the first trans woman cast on a primetime unscripted TV show, and executive produced by Lena Waithe.

The film has already gotten accolades, winning the Sundance Film Festival’s NEXT Innovator Award and NEXT Audience Award, as well as the Berlinale’s Audience Award in the Panorama Documentary section.

It has already been seen at the Miami Film Festival and Outshine Film Festival earlier this year. Now, the Magnolia Pictures film is opening in Miami at O Cinema South Beach (1130 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL) on Friday, August 4. (NY opens on July 28. Atlanta and additional U.S. markets open also on Aug. 4). On Saturday, August 5, there will be a special post film Q&A with the director. More info. on O Cinema at o-cinema.org.