Buena Vista Social Club (1999)

Aging Cuban musicians whose talents had been virtually forgotten following Castro's takeover of Cuba, are brought out of retirement by Ry Cooder, who travelled to Havana in order to bring the musicians together, resulting in triumphant performances of extraordinary music, and resurrecting the musicians' careers.

Director:

Wim Wenders

Writer:

Nick Gold (original concept)

Stars:

Compay Segundo, Eliades Ochoa, Ibrahim Ferrer

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 18 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Compay Segundo	...	Himself
Eliades Ochoa	...	Himself
Ry Cooder	...	Himself
Joachim Cooder	...	Himself
Ibrahim Ferrer	...	Himself
Omara Portuondo	...	Herself
Rubén González	...	Himself
Orlando 'Cachaíto' López	...	Himself
Amadito Valdés	...	Himself
Manuel 'Guajiro' Mirabal	...	Himself
Barbarito Torres	...	Himself
Pío Leyva	...	Himself
Manuel 'Puntillita' Licea	...	Himself
Juan de Marcos González	...	Himself

Storyline

A group of legendary Cuban musicians, some as old as their nineties, were brought together by Ry Cooder to record a CD. In this film, we see and hear some of the songs being recorded in Havana. There is also footage from concerts in Amsterdam and New York City's Carnegie Hall. In addition, many of the individual musicians talk about their lives in Cuba and about how they got started in music.

---

Plot Keywords:

cuba | concert | song | havana cuba | recording | 

---

Taglines:

In Havana, music isn't a pastime, it's a way of life.

---

Genres:

Documentary | Music

---

Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

PBS [United States]

Country:

Germany USA UK France Cuba

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

4 June 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Havana Rhapsody

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£54,814 (UK) (8 October 1999)

Gross:

$6,997,620 (USA) (28 January 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Road Movies Filmproduktion, Kintop Pictures, Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industrias Cinematográficos (ICAIC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Buena Vista Social Club album was put together by guitarist Ry Cooder in 1997 as a means of recapturing the "lost" music of pre-revolutionary Havana. The story was later made into this movie.

---

Connections

Referenced in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Episode #8.43 (2009)

---

Soundtracks

"Silencio"
Written by Rafael Hernández

User Reviews

great music, wonderful images

Besides the sones, guarachas and boleros (basic styles of good-old Cuban music), the beauty of this documentary relies on Wim Wenders' magnificent camera use.

It is impossible not to feel the emotion of the crowded Carnegie Hall in the climax scenes, but there are also many other images that carry the viewer to more intimate experiences of La Habana, its music and musicians. Wenders' camera takes us to the Conservatory, where pianist Ruben Gonzalez rehearses surrounded by children; or to the Egrem Recording Studio, where singers Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo look at each other's eyes while rendering one of the most beautiful boleros I've heard in my life.