Tango Shalom

{{Infobox film

| name = Tango Shalom

| image = Tango shalom xlg.jpg

| caption = Film poster

| alt =

| director = Gabriel Bologna

| screenplay = {{Plainlist|

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| writer = Jos Laniado

| producer = {{Plainlist|

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| cinematography = Massimo Zeri

| music = Zoe Tiganouria
Zizi Bologna

| starring = {{Plainlist|

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| editing = Robert Meyer Burnett

| studio = Convivencia Forever Films

| distributor = Vision Films

| released = {{Film date|2021}}

| runtime = 115 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

}}

Tango Shalom is a 2021 American dance{{cite web|url=https://heavy.com/entertainment/dancing-with-the-stars/karina-smirnoff-tango-shalom-movie/|title=DWTS Pro Starring In A New Dance Movie|website=Heavy.com|last=Reiher|first=Andrea|date=November 6, 2021|accessdate=December 30, 2021}} comedy{{cite news|url=https://www.qgazette.com/articles/tango-shalom-a-movie-whose-title-tells-it-all/|title=Tango Shalom: A Movie Whose Title Tells It All|last=Golomb|first=Robert|work=Queens Gazette|date=September 30, 2021|accessdate=December 30, 2021}} film directed by Gabriel Bologna and starring Jos Laniado, Judi Beecher, Renée Taylor, Lainie Kazan and Karina Smirnoff. It was produced by Joel Zwick who directed My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The movie won 25 film festival awards,{{Cite web|url=https://www.tangoshalommovie.com/about|title=About|website=Tango Shalom}} including the 2021 Artisan Festival International World Peace Initiative for Best World Peace and Tolerance Narrative Feature Film Award{{cite web|date=August 28, 2021|title=Bringing People Together Through Film|url=https://greatneckrecord.com/bringing-people-together-through-film/|access-date=December 30, 2021|website=Great Neck Record}} during the Cannes Film Festival. The film premiered at the 2021 Brooklyn Film Festival,{{cite web|url=https://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/film-detail?fid=2295|title=Tango Shalom|publisher=Brooklyn Film Festival|accessdate=December 29, 2021}} the borough where the majority of the movie was filmed.

Plot

{{more plot|date=March 2021}}

Hasidic Rabbi and amateur Hora dancer, Moshe Yehuda (Jos Laniado), enters a televised tango competition to save his Hebrew School from bankruptcy. But there is one big dilemma: in Orthodox Judaism, a married man is not allowed to touch a woman other than his wife. Moshe enlists the support of a Catholic priest (Joe Bologna) and leaders of various other faiths who understand the burden the modern world can place on traditional religious beliefs. Together, they devise a plan to assist Moshe to dance in the competition without compromising his moral code.{{cite web | url=https://www.amazon.com/Tango-Shalom-DVD-Gabriel-Bologna/dp/B09HJJD976 | title=Tango Shalom | website=Amazon | date=29 October 2021 }}

Cast

Release

Tango Shalom had a limited theatrical release by Vision Films in the United States and Canada on September 3, 2021, collecting the highest box office receipts of any independent film that Labor Day weekend.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/09/tango-shalom-arthouse-my-big-fat-greek-wedding-speciality-box-office-1234827692/|last=Goldsmith|first=Jill|title='Tango Shalom' Dances Into Arthouse: Taps 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' Pedigree, Woos Older Demo With Postcard Marketing – Specialty Box Office|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=September 5, 2021|accessdate=December 30, 2021}}{{cite web | url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/date/2021-09-06/?ref_=bo_rl_table_4 | title=Domestic Box Office for Sep 6, 2021 }} Vision Films also picked up the film for worldwide distribution. The film received North American streaming approval on October 29, 2021.{{cite magazine|title=Tango Shalom- A Heartwarming Movie Of Tolerance That Will Have You Dancing|magazine=Splash|url=https://splashmags.com/index.php/2021/09/14/tango-shalom-a-heartwarming-movie-of-tolerance-that-will-have-you-dancing/|last=Stevens|first=Serita|date=September 14, 2021}}

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 71% based on 14 critics, with an average rating of 6.80/10.{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tango_shalom |title=Tango Shalom (2021) |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=January 25, 2022 }}{{cite web |title=Tango Shalom |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/tango-shalom |website=Metacritic }}

Bradley Gibson of Film Threat wrote, "a family film both in front of the camera and behind it".{{cite web |url=https://filmthreat.com/reviews/tango-shalom/ |title=Tango Shalom |website=Film Threat |date=September 3, 2021 |access-date=December 30, 2021}}

Tom Tugend of Jewish Journal wrote, "Tango Shalom, which is populated by bearded Chassidim — not as caricatures or exotics, but as three-dimensional characters facing life's dilemmas and joys".{{cite web|url=https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/film/340437/tango-shalom-examines-chassidic-life-and-dancing/|title=Tango Shalom|website=Jewish Journal|date=September 9, 2021|accessdate=December 30, 2021}}

Pope Francis was quoted in the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, “I was pleased to learn of the film, Tango Shalom, which is intended to foster the values of fraternal solidarity and peace on a global level. It is my hope that this effort will serve the common good of the human family by furthering a spirit of mutual dialogue and respect for all persons. Upon all involved in the production of the film, I invoke abundant divine blessings”.{{Cite web|url=https://www.osservatoreromano.va/it/news/2022-09/quo-222/tango-shalom.html|title="Tango Shalom" - l'Osservatore Romano }}

The Interfaith dialogue movement has rallied behind Tango Shalom, who have endorsements on their official website by the Palestinian Bishop of Jerusalem, Dr. Munib Younan, Chief Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, Association of British Muslims, Archbishop Felix Anthony Machado, International Council of Christians and Jews, Centre For Religion, Reconciliation and Peace, The Global Peace Initiative of Women, United Religions Initiative, Muslims for Progressive Values, The Peacemakers’ Circle Foundation, Jammu & Kashmir Policy Institute, Nobel Prize Nominee, Steve Killelea, and the Reverend Dr. Richard Sudworth, Secretary for Inter Religious Affairs for the Archbishop of Canterbury. ".

Tango Shalom holds the rare distinction of being the first film in history to have its theatrical and VOD releases actively promoted by UNESCO on social media.{{Cite web |title=Movies help us #learn|url=https://twitter.com/unesco/status/1439957052957372419|access-date=2022-01-03|website=Twitter }} The film was also screened remotely at the prestigious 2021 Parliament of the World's Religions with the Dalai Lama, and Jane Goodall in attendance.{{cite web|url=https://parliamentofreligions.org/2021-parliament-film-festival-feature-tango-shalom-now-available-demand |title=2021 Parliament Film Festival Feature "Tango Shalom" Now Available on Demand!! | Parliament of the World's Religions }}{{cite web|url=https://parliamentofreligions.org/blog/his-holiness-dalai-lama-announced-luminary-upcoming-2021-parliament|title=His Holiness the Dalai Lama Announced as Luminary for the Upcoming 2021 Parliament | Parliament of the World's Religions }}{{cite web|url=https://parliamentofreligions.org/blog/un-messenger-peace-dr-jane-goodall-joins-2021-parliament-featured-luminary|title=UN Messenger of Peace, Dr. Jane Goodall, Joins 2021 Parliament as Featured Luminary | Parliament of the World's Religions }}

According to Gabriel Bologna, the director of the film, it's an "ethnic comedy". The film has been well received by former Soviet Union states, and was a recipient of numerous audience awards in countries with high Muslim populations, such as Morocco, United Arab Emirates, and India.{{cite news|url=https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/film/340437/tango-shalom-examines-chassidic-life-and-dancing/|title=Tango Shalom Examines Chassidic Life and Dancing|work=The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles|last=Tugend|first=Tom|date=September 9, 2021|access-date=December 30, 2021}}{{cite web |title=Winners |url=https://www.dubai-festival.com/winners-2022 |website=www.dubai-festival.com |publisher=Dubai Festival |access-date=18 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123200735/https://www.dubai-festival.com/winners-2022 |archive-date=November 23, 2022 |language=en |date=2022 |url-status=live}}

References

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