Chavela

The 2017 documentary by Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi is about Chavela Vargas, one of the best-known voices in the Mexican ranchera tradition. Born in Costa Rica, she sang songs written for women without changing their words and appeared on stage in trousers, in a poncho and carrying a gun. The spine of the documentary is an interview made in 1991 and never released. Vargas's fifteen years away from the stage through alcoholism and her return in her seventies with Pedro Almodóvar's support sit at the centre. Her speaking openly about her identity in old age is also recounted. The archive material is rich and the performance recordings strong. Who it's for: viewers interested in Latin American music and queer history. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a chronological biography, or avoiding the subject of alcohol dependence.