La Chana (2016)

Directed by: Lucija Stojevic | 89 minutes | documentary

A dynamic dance where lightning fast footwork beats faster than the heart and manages to finish exactly on the beat. The rhythm (compás) is the key to everything according to Antonia Santiago Amador, legendary queen of flamenco dance. In ‘La Chana’ she tells her life story. Extremely passionate and often in a poetic way, she knows how to describe and express the essence of this beautiful dance form. Documentary maker Lucija Stojevic has sketched a respectable portrait of an exceptional woman as “fly on the wall” and won the IDFA audience award in 2016.

With words like “ratatakkapamtan”, hand clapping and a brittle but stamping foot alone, the 70-year-old Antonia makes it clear that it is all about rhythmic perception and experience. Under her stage name La Chana she managed to become a world star (almost literally) in her younger years, by improvising and diligently putting her soul into flamenco dance. And how! Photos and newspaper articles from the past, as well as archive images of various sensational performances, show that Antonia was not called the whirlwind for nothing at the time. A powerful dance scene from the movie ‘The Bobo’ (1967) is particularly impressive. Supreme concentration, thorough foot skills, appropriate hand gestures, beads of sweat on the face and an intense look at the end: La Chana’s flamenco is a pure emotion dance.

Her creative expression came to an end at the time after her ex-partner, also a former manager, caused her to disappear from the spotlight at the peak of her career due to his jealousy and tantrums. Only after years of absence did she make the decision to return. Her love for dance has always remained. She now lives with her cinnamon-colored dog Canelita and second husband Félix, her mainstay. On the one hand, Antonia is a gentle woman who likes to think back and talk about her wonderful time as a gypsy dancer, on the other hand there is still a diva in her and she visibly enjoys the necessary attention and adorations from others.

Despite the fact that old age brings physical limitations, Antonia can’t resist taking off her beloved tap dancing shoes once in a while and as a passionate, critical teacher she teaches the younger generation all the tricks of the trade. Sitting, yes, but no less admirable. A wonderful moment is when the older version of La Chana shows in her intimate living room, dressed up and well, that she still masters the sense of rhythm and afterwards puts her comfortable slippers back on. La Chana receives well-deserved recognition during a grand finale in the theatre. She is slightly nervous and aware that this will most likely be her last performance in front of a large audience. But sure enough, she once again steals the show.