Tango Abrazos (Practicing Embrace)
Metod Pevec

Synopsis

Tjaša and Lena manage to entice their partners to dance classes. Their partners, typical, real men (Leon and Uroš) initially offer a decent amount of resistance, then grudgingly accept the idea, merely for the sake of peace. However, their new pastime seems to bring less and less peace into their lives. At the beginning of the story, both couples look very stable and committed, with signs of a peaceful routine that has settled into their lives after several years. It seems that the right persons are in the right relationships. Tango, however, stirs things a bit. Already in the first lessons, the participants are faced with the Latin culture of touching, and with the set tango routine of changing dance partners frequently. Tango, by definition, is "walking in the embrace," explains the dance teacher. It turns out that the four protagonists are "merely physically" matched better in the opposite combinations than in their everyday life. This surprising dance harmony and spontaneity kindles the first feelings of jealousy. The two men begin to take dance lessons much more enthusiastically than it was expected. Their female partners are trying to be more pleasant and more appealing than it would suffice for their partners. All four begin to take a dangerous interest in each other. If the two couples initially had a lot in common and seemed well matched, they now become intrigued by attractive differences that they sense in the persons from the other couple. The thing is that they do not know nor can be sure whether the thrill comes from the "mere physicality of tango" or is it a real, personal interest, which is in clear conflict with their committed relationships. This uncertainty coincides with a joint decision to spend News Year's Eve together. The night is exciting, but the morning brings a sobering effect.

tango
The Argentine tango is perhaps the only dance that discusses passion and even lust. An ardent fan of the tango will probably claim that there is more eroticism in the tango than in an average marriage. The tango allows a very sensual contact and communication of the bodies, while commanding distance and glorifying the art of containment at the same time. In Tango Abrazos the eroticism of tango is just a sensual trigger, which causes a good deal of confusion in the relationships of two couples. The boundary between the sensual and emotional suddenly becomes very elusive or even slippery.


the thirties

Judging by the criteria of drama, Tango Abrazos is a light hearted film. Two content and on the outside even happy couples in their mid-thirties decide to take dance lessons. Maybe it's the tango, or maybe it is them and their internal intimate uncertainty - but fairly soon their emotional or love compasses begin pointing in mixed directions. Their solid committed relationships begin showing gaps; new mutual attractions become increasingly difficult to hide or suppress. Chances are they have just entered the crisis of the thirties, but they have some serious choices to make and some responsible decisions to take.

festivals / awards
Festival of Slovenian Films, Slovenia, 2012: Vesna Award for Best Director (Metod Pevec), Vesna Award for Best Actor (Uroš Uroš Fürst), Vesna Award for Best Actress (Jana Zupančič)
Trieste Film Festival, Italy, 2012: In Competition

director's statement

about the film
Obviously dance is my eternal temptation. I can hardly make a movie without a dance scene. This time the story is literally paced in the rhythm of tango. Still, Tango Abrazos is not a dance movie, it is just lessons. And again, it is about relationships. On the other hand, the relationship and chemistry between tango dancers is the fundamental philosophy of tango.
Sometimes I wonder why the Slovenes prefer to shake hands instead of hug. Why, unlike many nations, we are too shy to hug when greeting somebody in everyday life. A hug can be a very simple, spontaneous greeting with our whole body, but no, we prefer to offer a cold handshake. One of the most elementary definitions of tango is that tango is like "walking in an embrace". And in that embrace, which is a very direct and eloquent conversation of two bodies, I saw the seeds of a very Slovenian story.

Metod Pevec
Director

Crew

director and screenwriter
director of photography
editor
make up artist
sound recordist
sound designer
costume designer
production designer
production manager
music by
Jure Tori
 
Laren Polič Zdravič
 
Andrej Guček
producer
Script supervisor

Actors

Tjaša
Uroš
Lena
Leon
Janja Frank
Uroš Andič
Lidija Sušnik
Laren Polič Zdravič
Drago Milinović
Karin Komljanec
Jasmina Jamnik

Data

Year
2012
Genre
feature
produced by
Vertigo
produced by
RTV Slovenija
Film format 
NanoFlash MXF (F35) 
Video format 
DCP / HDCAM 
Lenght 24fps 
93'06 
Length 25fps 
89'23'' 
Sound 
Dolby Digital SR-D 5.1 / Stereo 2.0. 
aspect ratio 
16:9 
color 
color 
language 
slovensko 
translation 
english, espanol 
 
 

produced by

Vertigo

Kersnikova 4, SI - 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija
Tel.: +386 1 439 7080
Fax: + 386 1 430 3530
E-mail: info@vertigo.si


RTV Slovenija

Kolodvorska 2-4
SI - 1000 Ljubljana
Slovenija / Slovenia


financed by

Ministrstvo za kulturo Republike Slovenije

Ministrstvo za kulturo
Maistrova ulica 10
1000 Ljubljana
T: 01 369 59 00
F: 01 369 59 01
E: gp.mk(at)gov.si


Slovenski filmski center

Miklošičeva 38
SI - 1000 Ljubljana
Slovenija / Slovenia

T: +386 (0)1 23 43 200
F: +386 (0)1 23 43 219
info@film-center.si


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