Directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw (The Truffle Hunters), Gaucho Gaucho concerns a specific type of “cowboy” from South America; skilled, brave, and unruly horsemen. Legends of local folklore. The gaucho is an important part of cultural tradition for Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and parts of Brazil, Bolivia, and Chilean Patagonia. The documentary’s specifical focus is the gauchos in Argentina.
Presenting real people’s lives around different towns and villages of the wide Argentine country, Gaucho Gaucho follows four “characters” primarily; Santino, Solano, Lelo, and Guada. The directors’ filmmaking approach is to simply film slices of everyday life but has a few confounding parts that push the film into a fictional narrative, as if these people were given dialogue to act out.
Gaucho Gaucho doesn’t hold one’s attention if you are looking for a truly moving or compelling narrative, working best as a solely visual affair. Captured with widescreen monochrome cinematography, Gaucho Gaucho is a stunning cinematic experience. The landscapes of Argentina naturally giving almost every frame a scale and scope that echoes the camerawork in the films of Akira Kurosawa, David Lean, and John Ford.
Co-director Michael Dweck’s main career is as a visual artist with work presented in museums and galleries. Gaucho Gaucho is perhaps best viewed as a kind of piece fit for that medium, not necessarily as a memorable story.
Gaucho Gaucho screened as part of the 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival. Wider cinema or streaming release is TBC.
For more information, visit the film’s page on Michael Dweck’s website.
