简介：Focusingonthethreateneddemiseofamusicalinstrument,JiskaRiskel’sgloriousmusicaltreatisbothamovingodysseythroughArgentina’smusicalpastandpresent,andthesearchforthesoulofthebandoneón. Justastheinventorsoftheharmonicaandthemelodicacouldhavehadnoideathattheirinnocentinstrumentswouldonedaytransformbluesandreggaemusic,theGermanimmigrantswhobroughttheir“poorpeople’sorgan”withthemtoArgentinainthe19thcenturyprobablydidn’tanticipatetheriseofthetango.Butthebandoneón’sastringent,slidingtonessuggestpassionlikenoinstrumentbeforeorsince;thetango,thisfilmimplies,wasbuiltaroundthatsound.Between1911and1943,60,000weresold.Butunlikeguitarsandglockenspiels,noone’smakingbandoneónsanymore,alothavebeenboughtupassouvenirsandthefewleftareinneedofconstantrepair.Rickels,likeamusicalDavidAttenborough,huntsdownthisvanishingspeciesinitsnaturalstate,revealingthehandsofgreatbandoneónistaslikeNestorMarconi,seenplayinginfabulouslypreservedolddancehalls,andDanielVedia,teachingpoorstudentsinthecountryside.Despiteitsmelancholysubjectmatter,thefilm’sairofslightlybitternostalgiaandfantasticmusicalselectionsmakeitasbracingasagreattango.…