Living Stars

In Buenos Aires they are dancing. Dozens of real people, identified simply by name and occupation, are presented in their kitchens, living rooms, offices, and streets—each dancing to a fairly well-known pop song. Young and old, alone and with others, they perform for the camera with a rawness usually only reserved for the bathroom mirror. This is Living Stars. While some dancers are very impressive—like a young boy who fully commits to his enactment of David Guetta’s “Titanium,” with the help of monkey bars—others are less so. Regardless, each performer embodies their given song with such complete abandonment, their resulting joy is infectious. Filmmakers Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat eschew traditional narrative for a surprisingly elegant use of mise-en-scène. Their deliberate editing and eye for authentic, honest performances deliver a truly uplifting cinematic experience. The people of Buenos Aires dance for themselves, but in Living Stars they also dance for us. - S.S