Tango Libre

2012 1h 38m FR

😐

5.6

MID

★5.6TMDB · 28

DramaRomanceMusic

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A prison guard is attracted to a woman at his weekly tango class. They meet again when she visits her husband in the prison where he works and he is drawn into her complicated romantic life. Meanwhile the prisoners are learning the tango.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

François Damiens
Jean-Christophe
Sergi López
Fernand
Jan Hammenecker
Dominic
Anne Paulicevich
Alice
Zacharie Chasseriaud
Antonio
Jaco Van Dormael
Un Danseur Prison

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Frédéric Fonteyne
Writers: Philippe Blasband, Anne Paulicevich
Languages: French, Spanish
Countries: France, Belgium, Luxembourg

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 15% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 14 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: France, Belgium, Luxembourg.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Frédéric Fonteyne, shot by Virginie Saint-Martin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ewin Ryckaert shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Frédéric Fonteyne directs. Virginie Saint-Martin behind the camera. Ewin Ryckaert cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in France, Belgium, Luxembourg. Dialogue in French, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 15% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 14 years ago.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, Spanish.
5International production across 3 countries: France, Belgium, Luxembourg.
6Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
7Directed by Frédéric Fonteyne, shot by Virginie Saint-Martin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
8Editor Ewin Ryckaert shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9François Damiens and Sergi López and Jan Hammenecker carry the top of the cast.
10IMDB entry: tt2370034 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Only 28 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.