Shot primarily in Havana and utilising the, then new, technology of digital cameras, Wenders weaves together the lives behind the music alongside an immersive portrait of the city.
Featuring the legendary talents of Ibrahim Ferrer, Rubén González, Eliades Ochoa and Omora Portuondo, Wenders captures the intimate atmosphere of the recording process as well as the spectacle of two concerts (in Amsterdam and New York’s Carnegie Hall).
As a collaborative result of Ry Cooder, Wim Wenders and London record producer, Nick Gold, this rare insight into the renowned ensemble perfectly interweaves locale with global reach and brings to each personal story a mythic sense of archetypal or collective truth.
Although many of the musicians are in their 80s and 90s and stand as the leading survivors of a specific era, the documentary’s magic rests in its evocation of a continuingly rich and living culture: folkloric stories, communities and traditions that have shaped music within the revolutionary history of Cuba.