Buena Vista Social Club (bc30)
樂滿夏灣拿 (bc30)
In Havana, music isn't a pastime, it's a way of life.
7.5/10 Great 384 votes
- Released
- 17 Sep 2026
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Certificate
- Category I
- Original title
- Buena Vista Social Club
- Language
- en
The verdict
Audiences rate it 7.5 out of 10 on TMDB across 384 votes — a strong score. It is not currently playing in Hong Kong cinemas. Category I · 105 minutes.
What it is about
This documentary by lauded German filmmaker Wim Wenders follows Ry Cooder, a renowned guitarist and Wenders’ frequent musical collaborator, and his son, Joachim, as they travel to Cuba and assemble a group of the country's finest musicians to record an album. Among the artists included in the project are singer Ibrahim Ferrer and pianist Rubén González, who are both interviewed and featured in studio footage. Eventually the ensemble travels to the United States to perform in front of rapt audiences.
What to expect
Wim Wenders movies a recording session and lets the room breathe. Ry Cooder and his son Joachim travel to Havana, round up a roster of Cuban veterans — Ibrahim Ferrer, Rubén González, Compay Segundo among them — and the documentary simply watches them play. Studio footage and unhurried interviews carry the 105 minutes; the pleasure is in the faces and the phrasing, not in a plot. The Hong Kong release is a 30th-anniversary screening under the bc30 banner, rated Category I, with English and Chinese subtitles. It plays in select art-house venues from 17 September 2026. Audience scores sit at 7.5/10 from 384 votes.
Trailer
Cast
-
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
Crew
- Director Wim Wenders
- Screenplay Wim Wenders
- Music Jerry Boys
- Director of Photography Jörg Widmer
- Director of Photography Robby Müller
- Director of Photography Lisa Rinzler
- Editor Brian Johnson
- Producer Deepak Nayar
- Producer Ulrich Felsberg
Common questions
- How long is the movie?
- 105 minutes.
- What is the Hong Kong certificate?
- Category I — suitable for all ages.
- Are there subtitles?
- Yes, English and Chinese subtitles are provided.
- Is this a special screening?
- Yes, it is a 30th-anniversary screening as part of the bc30 series.