León Gieco isn’t well known in the United States, but in his native Argentina he’s famous for his social and political lyrics to music that mixes Argentine rock to folk genres. For some, he’s the Argentine Bob Dylan. The movie “Mundo Alas” is about a group of differently challenged singers, artists and musicians he came to know and brought together for a tour.

The group travels through several provinces in Argentina and finally stage a big concert in Luna Park in Buenos Aires. We don’t get the logistics, the mundane statistical stuff of the concert tour arrangements. Consider that besides the concert, there is an album, a book by two music therapists, a photo book in the works and a TV series. What we learn about the participants isn’t meant to elicit pity. Much of their stories are told in brief snippets, in a matter of fact manner.

Among the people touring in the pink bus are vocalist Carina Spina, who began blind as a child, regained her sight briefly only to lose it at 18 and have to learn how to read braille; Francisco “Pancho” Chevez, a harmonica player born with no extremities; the shy singer-songwriter and guitarist Alejandro Davio, who has undergone 17 operations due to hydrocephalus (water on the brain);  Demian Ariel Frontera, who became confined to a wheelchair after a gymnastics training accident, and the members of the Tango Dance Company AMAR which helps kids with Down Syndrome and teaches them how to dance the national dance. AMAR began in 2003 with five dancers: Karina Amado, Nidia Scalzo, Lucrecia Pereyra Mazzara, Javier Trunso and Eduardo Spasaro.

There are others: Chevez’s manager and personal assistant Beto Zacarias, who is mentally and physically impaired due to poor nutrition as a child;  singer Maxi Lemos who has cerebral, palsy, painter Carlos Sosa has no hands, videographer Rosita Boquete was born without a lower jaw bone and hands, Antonella Semaan paints without hands, radio show host Carlos Melo was born with cerebral palsy, and Raul Romero the official announcer and host of the Mundo Alas shows.

We learn a little about each. We see Frontera at home, how he gets around his house and he goes to the place where he was injured. Davio takes us to his workplace (the Senate). There’s a touching moment when an AMAR dancer wants to teach Spina how to tango. And there are love stories.

The group combines new and old acquaintances of Gieco. Spina met León Gieco when she interviewed him for a radio show and he invited her to join the group. Chevez, who was abandoned shortly after he was born, has known Gieco for 15 years. You can see how such stories would be hard to incorporate in such a relatively short film (90 minutes). It makes sense though that for those who want to know more, there is more…at least in Argentina.

León Gieco, along with Fernando Molnar and Sebastian Schindel directed this movie. Molnar, Fernanda Ribeiz and Sebastian Schindel wrote the script. The movie won the 2009 award for Best Documentary from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Argentina and a Clarin Entertainment Awards in the same category.

This movie is a touching testament to how much can be achieved, the importance of the arts, and how little most of us have to complain about.

For more information about this movie, go to its official Website (in English and Spanish).