¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!

Casa Bonita opened in Denver in 1974 in an unremarkable strip mall. Inside were an indoor waterfall, cliff divers, haunted caves and an enormous Mexican-themed dining hall. The food was bad, but nobody went there for the food. In 2003 an episode of South Park made the place famous across the country. Years later, when the restaurant came close to closing, the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, bought the building and set about restoring it. Arthur Bradford's documentary follows that restoration: the condition of the building turning out far worse than expected, a budget that keeps growing, and how far two men will go to keep nostalgia standing. The narrative runs funny, but underneath is a serious question about how much money and labour go into preserving a memory. Trey Parker, Matt Stone and the chef Dana Rodriguez are at the centre of the film. Who it's for: South Park viewers, and anyone who likes restoration documentaries and narratives about nostalgia. Who it's not for: Context is missing for a viewer who does not know the place. The narrative also stays close to the owners' point of view.