GAUCHO GAUCHO: A Review
by Karen Pecota

Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw | USA | 2024

The coolest black-and-white, slow-moving cinematography is a love letter to the cowboys and cowgirls of Argentina known as Gauchos, in Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw’s documentary GAUCHO GAUCHO. Very little dialogue of the life on the range is needed to observe and be in awe of the Argentine Gaucho, as the young learn from their elders how to preserve the land given to them and their trade. It’s a rich legacy the young revere and respect, but the question remains as to who will prove that such a life is their destiny, too?

Not for the audience to decide, obviously, so Dweck and Kershaw choose to celebrate the Argentine community of cowboys and cowgirls using the most beautifully rich aspects of filmmaking to present a unique lifestyle of those who live outside of the clutches of a modern world.

Accompanying the incredible vast visuals of this lifestyle and its landscape are the culturally authentic sounds of nature and the voices of rural Argentine communities. The intensity at times allows the audience to feel as if they are Argentines and present in a world beyond their theater seat. It’s a hard but joyous life! To examine the peaceful aspect of how they guard their territory and care for its inhabitants is impressive. GAUCHO GAUCHO is an insightfully tender portrayal of family ties, the value of a community with the same mission, and the time that they take to care for each other.