Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at 7PM
CHAVELA by Catherine Gund & Daresha Kyi
CHAVELA is the captivating look at the unconventional life of beloved performer Chavela Vargas, whose passionate renditions of Mexican popular music and triumphant return to the stage late in life brought her international fame.
Born in Costa Rica in 1919, Chavela Vargas ran away to Mexico City as a teenager to sing in the streets. By the 1950s, she became a household name in her adopted country, delivering her performances with a raw passion and unique voice. Just as influential were her cultural contributions; Chavela was a bold, rebellious, sexual pioneer who was known for having many female lovers at a time when being out in Mexico was dangerous.
CHAVELA centers around a 1991 interview—the singer’s first public appearance after 15 hard years lost to alcoholism and heartbreak. In the final years of her life, Chavela openly comes out as a lesbian and rises into her momentous third act, becoming a muse to filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, earning a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, and selling out performances at prestigious concert halls around the world.
- WINNER! 2017 Frameline Fest—Audience Award
- WINNER! 2017 Outfest—Audience Award
From director Catherine Gund: “Before cell phones put a camera in everyone’s pocket, I carried a video camera in my backpack everywhere I went. I begged my friends to help me create a face-to-face moment with Chavela. I wanted to ask her some questions in my broken Spanish, make her laugh her gorgeous laugh, feel her magnetism, hear her raspy tones, and squirm at the power of her promise. I asked her if I could videotape our conversation. She agreed and she did not disappoint.”
From director Daresha Kyi: “As soon as I saw Chavela, I was intrigued. She wasn’t even singing, just sitting around talking to some friends but I had that visceral, gut reaction where you just know. Even though I still didn’t know any of the details of Chavela’s powerful story, I recognized her too, as kindred. And I knew hers was a story worthy of my time, energy, fire, desire, and oh, so much love.”
CHAVELA. 2017. Mexico, Spain, USA. 93 min. Music Box Films.
7PM Film Screening and kick-off event of March Is Music 2020.
Q&A / Performance with Latinx neo-folk artist Renee Goust following screening.
Bronx Film Wednesdays (BxFW): Curated by film and media artist Melisa Ramos, this series screens new, little-seen, and standout indie films that you will love! Travel the world and open your mind to stories as wild and from as far as the imagination can go — romance, comedy, action, sci-fi, horror, fantasy, thriller, drama, music, sports, animation, documentary, and more! Carefully selected to illustrate cultural, aesthetic, and geographic diversity, each night includes specially selected features and winning films from our Bronx-based 21 Islands International Short Film Fest. BxFW is co-presented with Prime Latino Media, the largest network of Latino multimedia-makers and actors on the East Coast.
Free Event — Reserve Now!
Event Details
Location
Pregones in THE BRONX
Date & Time
March 4, 2020 at 7PM
Bronx Film Wednesdays
FEATURED DIRECTORS:
Catherine Gund
Daresha Kyi
CHAVELA is the captivating look at the unconventional life of beloved performer Chavela Vargas, whose passionate renditions of Mexican popular music and triumphant return to the stage late in life brought her international fame.
Born in Costa Rica in 1919, Chavela Vargas ran away to Mexico City as a teenager to sing in the streets. By the 1950s, she became a household name in her adopted country, delivering her performances with a raw passion and unique voice. Just as influential were her cultural contributions; Chavela was a bold, rebellious, sexual pioneer who was known for having many female lovers at a time when being out in Mexico was dangerous.
CHAVELA centers around a 1991 interview–the singer’s first public appearance after 15 hard years lost to alcoholism and heartbreak. In the final years of her life, Chavela openly comes out as a lesbian and rises into her momentous third act, becoming a muse to filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, earning a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, and selling out performances at prestigious concert halls around the world.
From director Catherine Gund: “Before cell phones put a camera in everyone’s pocket, I carried a video camera in my backpack everywhere I went. I begged my friends to help me create a face-to-face moment with Chavela. I wanted to ask her some questions in my broken Spanish, make her laugh her gorgeous laugh, feel her magnetism, hear her raspy tones, and squirm at the power of her promise. I asked her if I could videotape our conversation. She agreed and she did not disappoint.”
From director Daresha Kyi: “As soon as I saw Chavela, I was intrigued. She wasn’t even singing, just sitting around talking to some friends but I had that visceral, gut reaction where you just know. Even though I still didn’t know any of the details of Chavela’s powerful story, I recognized her too, as kindred. And I knew hers was a story worthy of my time, energy, fire, desire, and oh, so much love.”
CHAVELA. 2017. Mexico, Spain, USA. 93 min.
7PM Film Screening and launch event of March Is Music 2020.
Bronx Film Wednesdays (BxFW): Curated by film and media artist Melisa Ramos, this series screens new, little-seen, and standout indie films that you will love! Travel the world and open your mind to stories as wild and from as far as the imagination can go — romance, comedy, action, sci-fi, horror, fantasy, thriller, drama, music, sports, animation, documentary, and more! Carefully selected to illustrate cultural, aesthetic, and geographic diversity, each night includes specially selected features and winning films from our Bronx-based 21 Islands International Short Film Fest. BxFW is co-presented with Prime Latino Media, the largest network of Latino multimedia-makers and actors on the East Coast.