Search - Buena Vista Social Club on DVD

MPAA Rating: G Movie Release: 1998 DVD Release: 02/20/2001 Format: DVD - Pan and Scan Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 41 mins Studio: Live/Artisan Members Wishing: 6 Genres: Music, Biography, Social History See Also: Music Makers: Buena Vista Social Club [DVD/CD]

Wim Wenders' documentary Buena Vista Social Club is about the adventures of Ry Cooder in Cuba. Cooder, best remembered by film fans for the wailing slide guitar theme of Wenders' Paris, Texas, went to Cuba in 1996 to meet with some legendary 'soneros' musicians of the '30s, '40s and '50s. The result was the album Buena Vista Social Club, recorded with such colorful characters as the 90-year-old singer/guitarist Compay Segundo, guitarist Eliades Ochoa, baritone Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo, "the Cuban Edith Piaf." The album won a Grammy, and in this refreshing documentary, Wim Wenders shows these exceptional musicians in their hometown, following them into their usual hang-outs -- the cafes, clubs and even living rooms -- as well as to concerts in Amsterdam and New York's Carnegie Hall, capturing their incredible vitality. "In Cuba, music flows like a river," according to Ry Cooder, who adds "Music is like a treasure hunt; you dig and dig and sometimes find something." Pursuing this metaphor, Wenders wanted to make a film that would "just float on this river ... not interfering with it, just drifting along." The result is a film full of vitality and positive energy, which is also an absolute delight to musical ears. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide

Ry Cooder
Compay Segundo
Rubén González
Ibrahim Ferrer
Eliades Ochoa

The much-lauded documentary feature Buena Vista Social Club is available on DVD through Artisan Home Entertainment. The film is presented in a 1:33:1 aspect ratio and comes with 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound. It can, however, only be viewed in English (although much of the dialogue is in Spanish). The scene access menus are colorful and jazzy, and the DVD comes with a wealth of special features. First there are informative biographies on 15 Buena Vista Social Club musicians, including Compay Segundo, Ruben Gonzales, Ibrahim Ferrer, and Omara Portuondo. Also included are detailed biographies and filmographies on director Wim Wenders, musician Ry Cooder, and producers Ulrich Felsberg and Deepak Nayar, as well as detailed production notes and even extensive thanks to the DVD manufacturers. Other special features include a trailer and several deleted scenes. The deleted scenes consist of concert footage from Amsterdam as the group performs "Candela," an interview with celebrated photographer Alberto Korda (of which a part was inserted into the beginning of the film), an interview with album producer Juan De Marcos, and a recording session of "Cien Fuegos" at the Egrem Studios. Finally, the film can be viewed with Wim Wenders' informative commentary. Despite sometimes lacking in overall sound quality, this is an example of a lovingly and respectfully put together DVD package. ~ Jose Promis, All Movie Guide