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

Writers:

Wim Wenders (by), Nick Gold (original concept)

Stars:

Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer, Rubén González

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 20 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Octavio Calderon	...	Himself - Musician
Joachim Cooder	...	Himself
Ry Cooder	...	Himself
Angel Terry Domech	...	Himself
Ibrahim Ferrer	...	Himself
Ibrahim Ferrer Jr.	...	Himself
Manuel Galbán	...	Himself - Musician
Hugo Garzón	...	Himself
Carlos González	...	Himself
Juan de Marcos González	...	Himself
Rubén González	...	Himself
Pío Leyva	...	Himself
Manuel 'Puntillita' Licea	...	Himself
Orlando 'Cachaíto' López	...	Himself
Manuel 'Guajiro' Mirabal	...	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:

musician | comeback | new york | cigar smoking | caribbean sea | 

---

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 USA:

$127,370, 6 June 1999

Gross USA:

$7,002,182

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,141,199

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:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The success of the album and this subsequent documentary had a deep impact on the Cuban tourist industry, raising the country's profile.

---

Connections

Edited into 365 Days, also Known as a Year (2019)

---

Soundtracks

Veinte Años
Written by María Teresa Vera
Performed by Omara Portuondo (uncredited)

User Reviews

Wonderful Music

When I rented Buena Vista Social Club I didn't have any appreciation for the type of music played by the Club; I still don't know what it's called. I rented the movie because I'm a Ry Cooder fan, and have seen some Wim Wenders' movies I liked. I wasn't expecting much, but the result is that I've just seen one of the best documentaries in my life. The premise is very simple, it's all about the old musicians and the wonderful music they make. You get to visit their modest homes, hang out in their neighborhoods, and listen to their music. Nothing more than that, but done so well, so effortlessly, you wish you could step through the screen and join them. I would recommend this film to anyone.