Gaucho Gaucho

The documentary follows a community in the north of Argentina. The gauchos work on horseback, herd animals and live largely by their own rules. The film follows several people: a young woman preparing for the rodeo, a father raising his daughter, an old herdsman and a boy who has just learned to read. The narrative builds no plot; daily work, ceremony, racing and conversation are given in turn. Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw direct. The documentary dates from 2024. It was shot in black and white and the photography is what it is most talked about for; the frames are composed like photographs. The directors had made documentaries about closed communities before and their method is the same: staying a long time and not intervening. The matter the narrative builds is the continuation of a tradition; the younger generation chooses the same life and the film does not question it. The place of women in that life is taken as a separate strand and the young woman entering the rodeo is at the centre. The documentary was shown at Sundance. Its limit is distance; the narrative beautifies the community and the economic conditions stay largely outside. Who it is for: viewers who like visually strong documentary and narratives of rural life. Who it is not for: there is no plot, the pace is slow, and the narrative gives little information.