UNTITLED BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB DOCUMENTARY
Lucy Walker revisits the Grammy Award-winning musicians that revived global interest in Cuban music.
Festival Section:
Documentary Premieres
Sundance Program Description:
In 1996, Cuban bandleader Juan de Marcos Gonzalez, British producer Nick Gold, and American guitarist Ry Cooder convened in Havana to produce a Cuban-Malian collaboration. When the Malians couldn’t get visas, the team turned their attention to reviving a forgotten generation of legendary son cubano musicians – among them Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzalez, Omara Portuondo, Eliades Ochoa, and Compay Segundo – and they formed a serendipitous, on-the-fly ensemble: the Buena Vista Social Club. The group’s hypnotic, irresistible music and effusive spirit unexpectedly took the world by storm, resulting in a Grammy Award-winning album and an Academy Award–nominated documentary by Wim Wenders.
Two decades since that fateful first session, we catch up to these master musicians, as they reflect on the magical unfolding of their lives – from humble origins to the evolution and surprising revival of their careers, all against the backdrop of Cuba’s dramatic history. Brimming with unseen concert, rehearsal, and archival footage, this film is an emotional, shimmering celebration of music’s power to transcend age, ideologies, and class, and to connect us to each other through our souls.
Some Background:
Director/Executive Producer:
Past Sundance docs:
A HISTORY OF CUBAN DANCE (short) (2016)
THE LION’S MOUTH OPENS (short) (2014)
THE CRASH REEL (2013)
THE TSUNAMI AND THE CHERRY BLOSSOM (short) (2012)
WASTE LAND (2010, Documentary Audience Award winner)
COUNTDOWN TO ZERO (2010)
DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND (2002)
Walker has been nominated for Academy Awards twice (TSUNAMI and WASTE LAND) and is an Emmy winner.
Producers:
This is the Blink TV content head’s first Sundance credit.
Kilberg is the founder and creative director of Convergent Media. He previously produced the Sundance narrative short L TRAIN (2012), but this marks his first doc at the festival.
Past Sundance docs:
A HISTORY OF CUBAN DANCE (executive producer)
The Broad Green Pictures president of physical production also produced Sundance narrative alums GREEN ROOM (2015) and SKATELAND (2010), and line produced alum AFTERNOON DELIGHT (2013).
Past Sundance docs:
A HISTORY OF CUBAN DANCE
THE LION’S MOUTH OPENS
THE CRASH REEL
Cautherley is an Emmy Award winner who also directed the Sundance short fiction alum BLUE HAVEN (2002).
This is the Broad Green SVP of development and production’s first Sundance nonfiction credit. He was an associate producer of festival fiction alum I AM NOT A HIPSTER (2012).
Executive Producers:
Past Sundance docs:
A HISTORY OF CUBAN DANCE
The Hammonds are CEO and CCO of Broad Green. They also executive produced GREEN ROOM.
This is the media advisor’s first Sundance credit.
This also marks the Blink TV CEO’s first project at Sundance.
Lust previously produced BLUE HAVEN and executive produced WEAPONS (2007).
Smith is a veteran entertainment attorney and the founder and CEO of Convergent Media. He has provided counsel for several past Sundance films.
Editors:
Higgins previously cut Walker’s doc short DAVID HOCKNEY IN THE NOW: IN SIX MINUTES, and was an apprentice editor for the Sundance narrative feature WHAT JUST HAPPENED? (2008).
This is Proenza’s first Sundance credit. He previously cut Michael Moore’s WHERE TO INVADE NEXT and CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY.
Why You Should Watch:
Returning these veteran musicians to the spotlight, Walker easily captures their vibrant personalities together with their infectious music as she shows how their lives have changed from their unexpected worldwide fame.
More Info:
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