“CHAVELA” presents an evocative look at the unconventional life of beloved singer Chavela Vargas, whose impassioned renditions of Mexican popular music and triumphant return to the stage late in life brought her international fame.
Directed and produced by Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi, “CHAVELA” is filled with vintage clips, stills and performances, alongside interviews with Chavela and her contemporaries, colleagues and partners.
Together, they present an evocative portrait of one of the Latin world’s most charismatic and trailblazing artists.
Born in Costa Rica in 1919, Chavela Vargas ran away to Mexico City as a teenager to sing in the streets.
By the 1950s, she gained a name for herself in Mexico, and later worldwide, chiefly for her unique and passionate interpretation of “rancheras,” traditional Mexican songs that speak frequently about love.
Just as influential were her cultural contributions—Chavela was a bold and rebellious sexual pioneer who was known for having many female lovers at a time when being outwardly gay in Mexico was dangerous.
“CHAVELA” centers around a 1991 interview--the singer's first public appearance after 15 hard years lost to alcoholism and heartbreak.
In the final years of her life, Chavela openly comes out as a lesbian and rises into her momentous third act, becoming a muse to filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar earning a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, and selling out performances at prestigious concert halls around the world before her death in 2012 at the age of 93.
“For me, Chavela’s life is not a cautionary tale, but rather, a rich subterranean dimension of our own living. She is not a role model, but a muse,” co-director Catherine Gund said. “Not only an elder, but a frame for our contemporary desires.”The winner of the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature at Outfest Los Angeles in 2017, “CHAVELA” will be released on DVD for the first time on January 2, 2018 (prebook November 28, 2017).
The DVD, which includes a directors’ commentary track and a collection of deleted scenes among its bonus features, carries the suggested retail price of $29.95.
More information on CHAVELA can be found on the MUSIC BOX FILMS website at musicboxfilms.com/chavela
Chavela
Music Box Films Home Entertainment
DVD RELEASE DATE: January 2, 2018
PRE-ORDER DATE: November 28, 2017
Price: DVD $29.95
Directors/producers: Catherine Gund & Daresha Kyi
Running Time: 93 min.
Format: 1.77:1
Sound Format: Dolby Digital 5.1
Rating: NR
Country: U.S., Spain, Mexico
Language: English and Spanish with English subtitles
Bonus Features*
-Feature commentary with directors Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi
-Filmmaker Q&A from New York premiere
-Interviews with directors from the Berlin Film Festival
-Deleted scenes
-“Sombras” live performance
-Rare extended Chavela interview from 1991
More information on CHAVELA can be found on the MUSIC BOX FILMS website at musicboxfilms.com/chavela
Chavela
Music Box Films Home Entertainment
DVD RELEASE DATE: January 2, 2018
PRE-ORDER DATE: November 28, 2017
Price: DVD $29.95
Directors/producers: Catherine Gund & Daresha Kyi
Running Time: 93 min.
Format: 1.77:1
Sound Format: Dolby Digital 5.1
Rating: NR
Country: U.S., Spain, Mexico
Language: English and Spanish with English subtitles
Bonus Features*
-Feature commentary with directors Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi
-Filmmaker Q&A from New York premiere
-Interviews with directors from the Berlin Film Festival
-Deleted scenes
-“Sombras” live performance
-Rare extended Chavela interview from 1991
About Music Box Films:
Music Box Films is a North American distributor of acclaimed international, American independent and documentary features. Recent releases include Terence Davies’ A QUIET PASSIONstarring Cynthia Nixon, Martin Provost’s THE MIDWIFE starring Catherine Deneuve and Catherine Frot, , and CHAVELA a documentary about the legendary Mexican ranchera singer Chavela Vargas. Upcoming releases include Alon and Shaul Schwarz’s AIDA’S SECRETS, Daniela Thomas’ first solo feature VAZANTE, Cédric Klapisch’s BACK TO BURGUNDY and OUR BLOOD IS WINE a documentary that explores the ancient process of Georgian winemaking. Music Box Films is independently owned and operated the Southport Music Box Corporation, which also owns and operates the Music Box Theatre, Chicago’s premiere venue for independent and foreign films. For more information, please visit www.musicboxfilms.com.
Music Box Films is a North American distributor of acclaimed international, American independent and documentary features. Recent releases include Terence Davies’ A QUIET PASSIONstarring Cynthia Nixon, Martin Provost’s THE MIDWIFE starring Catherine Deneuve and Catherine Frot, , and CHAVELA a documentary about the legendary Mexican ranchera singer Chavela Vargas. Upcoming releases include Alon and Shaul Schwarz’s AIDA’S SECRETS, Daniela Thomas’ first solo feature VAZANTE, Cédric Klapisch’s BACK TO BURGUNDY and OUR BLOOD IS WINE a documentary that explores the ancient process of Georgian winemaking. Music Box Films is independently owned and operated the Southport Music Box Corporation, which also owns and operates the Music Box Theatre, Chicago’s premiere venue for independent and foreign films. For more information, please visit www.musicboxfilms.com.
