Tango Shalom (2021) was actually filmed several years ago but seems to have finally been released in theaters and on streaming platforms. Despite some awkward editing cuts and a few draggy spots (it runs 115 minutes) it is ultimately a pleasant comedy with the kind of message this old world truly needs.
Written by the late Joseph Bologna with Claudio and Jos Laniado, the story concerns a rabbi with financial problems. He leaves his comfortable Brooklyn neighborhood (Williamsburg?) and goes into "the city" to find work but runs across a Latin dance school, which fosters his secret dream of dancing the tango. The snappy teacher (Karina Smirnoff) notices his innate talent and talks him into being her partner in a big televised dance competition. The problem is that being an Hassidic Jew, he's not allowed to touch a woman other than his wife.
So the rabbi (Jos Laniado) goes on a quest to visit various religious leaders (Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, Hindu) to learn how various religions would deal with such a problem. Once he finds his solution, he then has to face the TV cameras and his astonished family. While the ending isn't quite as rousing as in, say, Strictly Ballroom, it makes its point.
Some nice cameos by Renee Taylor, Lainie Kazan, Bern Cohen, and Joseph Bologna (who died in 2017) as the priest. Directed by Gabriel Bologna.
I guess the ultimate message is that as we are different, so we are one.
