El sonido del bandoneon (2011)

Directed by: Jiska Rickels | 74 minutes | documentary

The documentary ‘El Sonido (= the sound) del bandoneón’ was the opening film of the Competition for Dutch Documentary competition program during IDFA 2011 (International Documentary Film Festival). The reason for the film was the world famous tear (who has not seen it many times after that?) of Máxima during her marriage to Willem-Alexander.

Let’s just say right away that the film has become a masterly musical and human portrait. The documentary tells not only about the instrument itself, but also about the very diverse music that is played on it. But above all it is also an ode to the people who manage to bring this instrument to life in such a compelling way. The sounds they elicit from it are sometimes rousing, sometimes melancholic.

The opening scenes are immediately strong. We follow the famous Néstor Marconi. Sublime tango music is played, accompanied by a singer who sings heartbreakingly beautiful about the fate of an abandoned bandoneón. We see the tango being danced with a passion and surrender that can probably only be found among the Argentinians.

‘El sonido del bandoneón’ is much more than just another film about the tango. We are spoiled with blood-curdlingly beautiful tango music, but there are also very different sounds. The story then moves to the penniless north, the province of Jujuy. There Daniel Vedia plays more folkloristic music and under completely different circumstances. That music sounds much happier and is more real folk music. He teaches students who don’t even own an instrument. The images are touching in which Daniel teaches students on a blackboard in poor circumstances, who stick together a bandoneón from empty wine cartons and color a keyboard on it. They have to live their passion with an ‘instrument’ from which not even a sound comes out. Yet they are also extremely driven. Their accompanying comments mocking their ‘instrument’ that smells of wine but produces no sound are beautiful. It is disconcerting to see how, after a successful performance in Buenos Aires (24 hours by bus one way), in the next scene Daniel tells his students that he can no longer teach his students, the local government does not want to grant any more money. The recordings with Oscar Fischer are fascinating, who tunes and restores bandoneons and who has to bring the soul of the instrument (back) to life.

As an informative piece of history lesson is a side trip to Germany. The bandoneón actually comes from Germany and was brought to Argentina by German immigrants. An ex-employee says that in the time of the GDR the factory was closed. The bandoneón is struggling in many ways. New instruments from Argentina no longer reach the level of the original ones. Many existing instruments are in poor condition or are bought as souvenirs by tourists.

Documentaries often receive far too little attention from the general public. ‘El sonido del bandoneón’ does deserve that large audience. Images of lavish theaters in Buenos Aires, poor living conditions in the far north, mixed with people full of passion. Magnificent music, supported and enhanced by impressive landscape images. Cinematographic in all respects a tour de force with eye-catching camera work and a perfect editing and sound score.