Chavela

Documentary portrait of openly lesbian Latin American singer Chavela Vargas, who inspired director Pedro Almodóvar and others.

"When Latina superstar Chavela Vargas died in 2012 at age 93, director Catherine Gund revisited her invaluable interview footage from the 1990s and set out to expand on her original material with concert footage and interviews. Criticised from an early age for her boyish behaviour, teenage Chavela left her Costa Rican home for Mexico. Initially billed as a ranchera singer, in heels and gown, it was only when she shook off convention and donned her iconic poncho, that Chavela became the darling of the cabaret crowd. Tragically, excessive drinking destroyed her career. Her re-emergence, sober after 20 years, and her soul-baring performances are achingly defiant." (Sydney Film Festival)

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