Veteran Carlos Saura’s foray into the work of local artists merely a recording with little insight
You will probably like Carlos Sauras’ new film Zonda, folclore argentino just as much as you like Argentine folklore. It’s advertised as a musical, but it would more accurate to think of it as a showcase of high profile folklore musical numbers executed by renowned local dancers and musicians, from Soledad Pastorutti, Lito Vitale and Pedro Aznar to Liliana Herrero, Luis Salinas and Jairo, from the Ballet Nuevo Arte Nativo de Koki & Pajarín Saavedra, Jaime Torres, and Juan Falú, to Chaqueño Palavecino, Peteco Carabajal and the Orquesta Popular los Amigos del Chango — among many others.
And, of course, all the musical numbers are deftly executed, no matter who the artist is. So you will get more than just a sample of assorted pieces: baguala, zamba, chacarera doble, chacarera with piano, zamba alegre, peña cuyana, and so forth. Each presentation takes place on a stage with minimum set design — if any. For the most part, the camera is static and placed right in front of the stage, so you get to see it all as though you were sitting in a theatre. Medium shots and close-ups are used to film the musicians and dancers, and to a lesser degree, large shots give you an idea of the overall picture. There are also back projection panels, in which, for instance, there are photographs and clips of Mercedes Sosa at a concert.
As regards the lighting, most of the times it is functional to the spectacle, that is to say it allows viewers to see the artists with no shadows and highlights, but rather under the same overall lighting. There are, of course, some exceptions. But all in all, all numbers look pretty much the same. So Zonda is, first and foremost, a filmed version of a showcase of top notch folklore numbers. But it’s hardly a cinematic piece.
Saura has chosen to do exactly the opposite of what other filmmakers have done when faced with a similar undertaking: think of Argentine Santiago Mitre and his film Los posibles, which focused on musical numbers choreographed by Juan Onofri Barbato and executed by a group of dancers from Casa Joven La Salle; or Win Wenders’ Pina, where the veteran director filmed the dance of legendary Pina Bausch; or Argentine Leonardo Favio with his ballet in Aniceto, a remake of one of his most popular films, El romance del Aniceto y la Francisca.
In the cases of Mitre, Favio and Wenders, true cinematic gems emerged. Camerawork as well as photography were used in narrative ways to express the nature of the dance and the music — they are in constant dialogue with the material, they become a part of the spectacle and modify it through their active presence. In these cases, it’s never about just filming the show, but about recreating it and reshaping it. Thanks to these directors’ cinematic approaches, the art of dance is resignified.
But Zonda never attempts to do so. Because it’s easier — and far less appealing — to just record the show in a somewhat largely formulaic manner that allows for no insights. Just like he did with Tango and Flamenco, Saura is no longer interested in making films, but rather in merely filming artistic presentations in the same way any somewhat competent director without a trademark would. And that’s about it.
Production notes
Zonda, folclore argentino (Argentina/Spain/France, 2015). Directed by Carlos Saura. With Soledad Pastorutti, Lito Vitale, Pedro Aznar, Liliana Herrero, Luis Salinas, Jairo, Ballet Nuevo Arte Nativo de Koki & Pajarín Saavedra, Jaime Torres, Juan Falú, Chaqueño Palavecino. Cinematography: Felix "Chango" Monti. Editing: César Custodio, Iara Rodriguez Vilardebó. Running time: 85 minutes.
