They Shot the Piano Player

A wonderful animation which brings us on a journey that celebrates the origin story of the world-renowned Latino musical movement Bossa Nova.

As American journalist Jeff Harris hears a piano sola on an old bossa nova record he takes it upon himself to learn more about the pianist, Francisco Tenório Júnior. This is harder than expected, as he went missing whilst on tour in Argentina in 1976, which was at the time under military dictatorship. Harris journeys to Brazil and Argentina to meet the people who knew Tenório, not only in hopes of finding out what happened to him, but to get to know him as a person.

Jeff Harris, voiced by Jeff Goldblum, is not a real person, but the story and his interview subjects are. They Shot the Piano Player is an animated cocktail of fact and fiction, covering bossa nova, state violence, and one of Brazil’s greatest pianists.

«Jazz and animation make for strong bedfellows in They Shot the Piano Player, a film from Spanish directors Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal that represents an intriguing hybrid in all sorts of ways.»
– Chris Willman, Variety –

Jenny Lund

Director

Fernando Trueba (b. 1955) is a Spanish director, writer, producer, and book editor. Javier Mariscal (b. 1950) is a Spanish artist, designer, and director. Together, the two are best known as co-directors of the Academy Award nominated and Goya Award winning Chico & Rita (2010).

This film is part of