Modern Tango World N° 10 (Athens, Greece) | Page 34

Un Tango Mas (Our Last Tango)
— A film by German Kral
reviewed by Alexandru Eugen Cristea
This film is the life and love story of Argentina’s famous tango dancers Maria Nieves Rego and Juan
Carlos Copes, who met as teenagers and danced together for ne arly fifty years until a painful separa-
tion tore them apart.. The film is directed by German Kral, and written by German Kral and Daniel
Speck, starring María Nieves Rego, Juan Carlos Copes, and Melina Brutman,
This is a poetic work about life, love and tango. It is half
documentary and half artistic movie. Un Tango Más tells
the fascinating love story of Juan Carlos Copes and
Maria Nieves Rego, famous for their dancing style and
nearly 50 year long partnership.
At the beautiful age of 81 and 84, they tell their story,
with its ups and downs, through laughter and tears,
with the sincerity and realism that old age gives us like
a prize after having lived a full life.
It is a fabulous film, accessible both to the connoisseur
and the neophyte, full of pearls of wisdom, dancing and
atmosphere that will linger in the viewer’s hart long
after the end credits. The film will stay with you, re-
minding you of the unexpected turns that life can take,
and the real values. But more than anything, the film is
about the courage to face it all.
As a dance with rebellion at its core, just like the story in
the movie, tango is masterful performed by artists such
as Pablo Veron, Alejandra Gutty, Pancho Martinez Pey
and others, who impersonate the famous couple Carlos
and Maria in their prime. Juan Malizia and Ayelén Álva-
rez Miño play the youngest Carlos and Maria.
A veritable work of art, Un Tango Más is best tasted with
an open heart – the way that a tango should be danced –
and with the sweet remorse that inevitably comes along
with past joys and sorrows, reminding us to always strive
to be a better person.
There is more Maria and less Carlos in the movie, it is
more about her drama and less about his professional-
ism, more about feminism and less about equality. But
then again, let us not forget that in any tango couple,

the secret inner purpose of leading is the display the
woman in movement, just like you would display a
piece of jewelry on a velvet background
— Adrian Mirel Petrariu,
The film is already a classic and will remain so forever, just
like an old tango. It will be remembered by the feeling of
its embrace, more than the words of its lyrics. The film is
best viewed with a stranger of the opposite sex.
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