Tango apasionado

In Tango apasionado we get to know two men struggling with their relationship. We don’t know much about them – all we get is a glimpse of their desires and routines. We might find out that they are only part of a game we call film making. Yet our watching their little dance is all too real. The inspiration for Tango apasionado came from the legendary casting scene in Code inconnu, where Juliette Binoche creates a completely believable emotional performance in an empty studio space. Jan Krüger wanted to play around with it, as Haneke does it over and over again; playing with viewers’ expectations, reflecting on the make-believe power of film. Jan Krüger on the maestro: ‘Michael Haneke is not an easy one. His films leave us with more questions than answers – a daring thing to do when what’s expected is easy entertainment. But it reflects a vision of the world (and storytelling) that I share. It’s not up to the film maker to explain the world – it is his assignment to look closer. When I make a movie, I don’t know all the answers. For me, therein lies the magic of cinema – opening it up and leaving space to fill with our own experience.’