Buena Vista Social Club
“In Havana, music isn't a pastime, it's a way of life.”
Synopsis
In this fascinating Oscar-nominated documentary, American guitarist Ry Cooder brings together a group of legendary Cuban folk musicians (some in their 90s) to record a Grammy-winning CD in their native city of Havana. The result is a spectacular compilation of concert footage from the group's gigs in Amsterdam and New York City's famed Carnegie Hall, with director Wim Wenders capturing not only the music -- but also the musicians' life stories.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Wim Wenders on Buena Vista Social Club’s Ibrahim FerrerOfficial
Type: Featurette • Published 2017-04-24
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Compay Segundo
Self
Eliades Ochoa
Self
Ry Cooder
Self
Joachim Cooder
Self
Ibrahim Ferrer
Self
Omara Portuondo
Self
Rubén González
Self
Orlando 'Cachaíto' López
Self
Amadito Valdés
Self
Manuel 'Guajiro' Mirabal
Self
Barbarito Torres
Self
Pío Leyva
Self
Manuel 'Puntillita' Licea
Self
Juan de Marcos González
Self
Lázaro Villa
Self
Octavio Calderon
Self
Angel Terry Domech
Self
Ibrahim Ferrer Jr.
Self
Release History & Theatrical Window
Berlin International Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
June 4, 1999
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Wim Wenders
- Screenplay & Story
- Wim Wenders
- Original Score
- Jerry Boys
- Original Title
- Buena Vista Social Club
- Country of Origin
- Germany, United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Cuba
- Spoken Languages
- English, Spanish
- Runtime
- 1h 45m
- Production Studios
- Kintop Pictures, Road Movies
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders, Nick Gold
Jerry Boys
Jörg Widmer, Robby Müller, Lisa Rinzler
Brian Johnson
Deepak Nayar, Ulrich Felsberg
Department Leadership Roster
Wim Wenders
Director
Deepak Nayar
Producer
Jörg Widmer
Director of Photography
Robby Müller
Director of Photography
Ulrich Felsberg
Producer
Wim Wenders
Screenplay
Brian Johnson
Editor
Lisa Rinzler
Director of Photography
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
G: General Audiences — All ages admitted. Nothing offensive for children.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.
General Audiences — All ages admitted. Nothing offensive for children.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Buena Vista Social Club.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Buena Vista Social Club.
Documentaries
Auto-generated by festival-lists — do not edit by hand.
Letterboxd's Top 250 Documentary Films
Letterboxd's official Top 250 documentary feature films, ranked by average member rating. Letterboxd 官方 Top 250 最佳纪录长片榜单： 根据平台用户的平均评分进行排序的纪录长片精选榜单。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:36:46 UTC+8)*
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Buena Vista Social Club
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Buena Vista Social Club about?
In this fascinating Oscar-nominated documentary, American guitarist Ry Cooder brings together a group of legendary Cuban folk musicians (some in their 90s) to record a Grammy-winning CD in their native city of Havana. The result is a spectacular compilation of concert footage from the group's gigs in Amsterdam and New York City's famed Carnegie Hall, with director Wim Wenders capturing not only the music -- but also the musicians' life stories.
Who directed Buena Vista Social Club?
Buena Vista Social Club was directed by Wim Wenders.
Who stars in Buena Vista Social Club?
The principal cast of Buena Vista Social Club includes Compay Segundo, Eliades Ochoa, Ry Cooder, Joachim Cooder, Ibrahim Ferrer.
When was Buena Vista Social Club released and how long is it?
Buena Vista Social Club was released in 1999 with a total runtime of 1h 45m.
Who composed the musical score for Buena Vista Social Club?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Buena Vista Social Club was composed by Jerry Boys.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Buena Vista Social Club?
Buena Vista Social Club holds official age classifications: DE: 6 (FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.); US: G (General Audiences — All ages admitted. Nothing offensive for children.).