Directed by Wim Wenders • 1999 • Germany, United States
Traveling from the streets of Havana to the stage of Carnegie Hall, this revelatory documentary captures a forgotten generation of Cuba’s brightest musical talents as they enjoy an unexpected encounter with world fame. The veteran vocalists and instrumentalists collaborated with American guitarist and roots-music champion Ry Cooder to form the Buena Vista Social Club, playing a jazz-inflected mix of cha-cha, mambo, bolero, and other traditional Latin American styles, and recording an album that won a Grammy and made them an international phenomenon. In the wake of this success, director Wim Wenders filmed the ensemble’s members—including golden-voiced Ibrahim Ferrer and piano virtuoso Rubén González—in a series of illuminating interviews and live performances. The result is one of the most beloved documentaries of the 1990s, and an infectious ode to a neglected corner of Cuba’s prerevolutionary heritage.
Up Next in Directed by Wim Wenders
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Palermo Shooting
Directed by Wim Wenders • 2008 • Germany
A photographer moves to Palermo in order to escape from his past. There, he meets a young woman and attempts to adhere to his new way of life.
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Anselm
Directed by Wim Wenders • 2023 • Germany
Starring Anselm Kiefer, Anton Wenders, Daniel KieferIn ANSELM, Wim Wenders creates a hypnotic portrait of Anselm Kiefer, one of the most innovative and important painters and sculptors of our time. Shot in 6K resolution—and released theatrically in 3D—th...
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Silver City Revisited
The following short film was directed by Wim Wenders in 1968.
