Buena Vista Social Club

The Cuban musicians Ry Cooder gathered in Havana, most of them in their nineties. The documentary covers both the recording and the lives of the people making it. Wim Wenders directed. The film followed the 1997 album of the same name. The weight of the account is on the travel. The musicians leave Cuba to perform, which given the restrictions between Cuba and the United States is an event in itself. The film includes concert footage from the Koninklijk Theater Carré in Amsterdam in April 1998 and Carnegie Hall in New York on 1 July 1998. Ibrahim Ferrer, Compay Segundo and Omara Portuondo are among those interviewed. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 92 percent. It was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar in 2000 and won Best Documentary at the European Film Awards. It entered the National Film Registry in 2020. Its effect was concrete: the international standing of the musicians rose and several went on to successful solo albums. Who it is for: viewers who like music documentaries and Cuban music. Who it is not for: anyone expecting something about Cuba's politics. The film barely touches it, which is one of the things it gets criticised for.