With a glorious mane of hair and a talent for the dazzling footsteps of malambo, teenaged Cabra wants to be a professional dancer. Living with his mother and her stern boyfriend in a border town slum, Cabra escapes into the world of dance, pummeling the floor and practicing with a vigor and passion in anticipation of a major competition on the horizon. However, when his ex-convict father is released from jail and starts stirring up trouble again, a complex triangle of familial wounds overtakes the narrative, morphing Karnawal from a rhythmic portrait of dance into a powerfully realized exploration of the inescapable blood ties that bind us. Capturing the rich regional texture of the northern border of Argentina, the film is a display of athletic prowess, vibrant South American culture, and an ensemble firing on all cylinders—delivering a bold and dynamic coming-of-age dance drama.—Cleveland International Film Festival

In Spanish with English subtitles