Tango of life, filmed between Piedmont and Latvia and released in cinemas on March 9, is not just a docu-film on Parkinson’s. “It’s the story of a beautiful love story” explains the director Erica Liffredo. Made between 2019 and 2021, Tango della Vita is an insight into the daily life of Claudio and Ivana. He has been fighting the disease for 18 years, she has never left his side, accompanying him with love in all stages of this difficult journey. “They are an example of wonderful love, they face life together.”
Between work and care, Claudio finds relief not only in the safe embrace of his wife, but also in the passion they share for tango, with the secret dream of going dancing in Argentina.
“I have always known Claudio, we are distant cousins - says the director -. A few years ago he told me how tango made him feel better and about the project he was doing with the doctors. I started following them with the camera, they got used to my presence, they opened the doors of their home and their privacy to me. He has a lot of self-irony, he always jokes a lot about the problems of the disease, he is a great help in dealing with it. He’s a rock, he never gives up.”
Yet there are also moments of fragility in the film.
“While we were shooting he had this fear of showing his fragility, because he thought he would stop being an element of courage for others, but in the end he was happy with the scene in which he struggles to move. He brings it closer to those who suffer from the same disease ”.
The film combines the story of Claudio, who lives and works in Centallo, with that of Arthur, a Latvian composer.
“He had already composed a symphonic tango, we talked to him about them and he then absolutely wanted to meet them. He was very struck by the fact that tango had a therapeutic value. Like everyone else when he met them, he fell in love with them. Hence the choice to create a composition made specifically for Claudio and Ivana.”
The intent of the film also includes space for research into the disease.
“We wanted to give space to scientific experimentation conducted on the benefits of tango. It was very nice, because it was one of Claudio’s dreams. It’s amazing how therapeutic tango is for people with Parkinson’s. They struggle to move, but eventually manage to dance. With this disease you fight for every single movement with great strength and courage. Sometimes you lose your speech, sometimes you have tics or involuntary movements. It is still very little recognized.”
Finally, the connection with the territory and with the community is evident, an aspect that both the protagonist and the director have in common. “We are both very attached to our territory, the Cuneo area. For Claudio and Ivana it is very important. This proudly peasant character and his love for the landscapes in which he has always lived emerge in the film.”
The screening of the docu-film created with the support of Film Commission Torino Piemonte will be on Friday 5 April, at the Cinema Ambrosio at 8.30 pm.
