| Buena Vista Social Club | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Wim Wenders |
| Written by | Wim Wenders |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | see below |
| Cinematography | Jörg Widmer |
| Edited by | Brian Johnson |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by |
|
Release dates |
|
Running time | 105 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
|
| Languages |
|
| Box office | $23 million[2] |
Buena Vista Social Club is a 1999documentary film directed byWim Wenders about themusic of Cuba. It is named for adanzón that became the title piece of the albumBuena Vista Social Club. The film is aninternational co-production ofGermany,the United States,the United Kingdom,France, andCuba.
In 2020, the film was selected for preservation in the United StatesNational Film Registry by theLibrary of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".[3]
The film documents howRy Cooder, a long-time friend of Wenders, brought together the ensemble of legendaryCuban musicians to record an album (also calledBuena Vista Social Club) and to perform twice with a full line-up: in April 1998 inAmsterdam (two nights at theRoyal Theater Carré) and the 1st of July 1998 in theUnited States (at theCarnegie Hall,New York City). Although they are geographically close, travel betweenCuba and the United States is restricted due to the political tension between the two countries, so many of the artists were travelling there for the first time. The film shows their reactions to this experience, as well as including footage of the resultant sell-out concert. It also includes interviews with each of the main performers.
Buena Vista Social Club received critical acclaim. OnRotten Tomatoes, the film has a 92% score based on 48 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The consensus summarizes: "A hopeful gesture of cultural outreach set to an irresistible soundtrack,Buena Vista Social Club is an enriching and zesty experience."[4]Metacritic reports an 81 out of 100 rating based on 19 critics.[5]
The film was nominated for anAcademy Award for best documentary feature in 2000.[6] It won as best documentary in theEuropean Film Awards as well as many others. The albumBuena Vista Social Club features studio versions of the music heard in the film.
The film helped the musicians, some of them already in their nineties, become known to a worldwide audience, with some going on to release popular solo albums. These includedIbrahim Ferrer,Compay Segundo,Rubén González andElíades Ochoa. The latter went on to support younger musicians making the same style of music beyond 2010 under the name "Buena Vista Social Club".
