JFF Closing Event - The Mamboniks

The Mamboniks tells a surprising, little-known story: how Jewish people fell head over heels in love with Latin music and dance in the years directly following World War II. Back then, two cultures, Jewish and Latino, met on the dance floor at a time when America was racially segregated, and anti-Semitism was commonplace.  Set in New York, the Catskills, Miami Beach and sultry Havana, the film features a lovable, somewhat zany group of characters now retired yet still dancing near Boca Raton, Florida. This array of Damon Runyon-like characters from mambo’s heyday ranges in age from the seventies to the nineties. We meet dancers, musicians, club owners, disc jockeys, and record company moguls. Many possess the Yiddish gift of gab, spinning their tales with humor, heart and chutzpah.