Buena Vista Social Club

Buena Vista Social Club

In Havana, music isn't a pastime, it's a way of life.

G 1999 · 105 min · ★ 7.5 · Documentary, Music

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.

Directed by Wim Wenders · Written by Wim Wenders

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

HBO Max Amazon ChannelHBO Max

Rent or Buy

Amazon VideoApple TV StoreGoogle Play MoviesYouTubeFandango At Home

Cast

Trailers & Videos

Make it a double feature

3h 39m together

Buena Vista Social Club

City of Angels

Both from Wim Wenders.

More from Wim WendersSee all →

Paris, TexasParis, Texas · 1984
Paris, Texas
★ 8.11984
MovieDrama
A man wanders out of the desert not knowing who he is. His brother finds him, and helps to pull his memory back of the life he led before he walked out on his family and disappeared four years earlier.
The Salt of the EarthThe Salt of the Earth · 2014
The Salt of the Earth
★ 8.12014
MovieDocumentary
During the last forty years, the photographer Sebastião Salgado has been travelling through the continents, in the footsteps of an ever-changing humanity. He has witnessed the major events of our recent history: international conflicts, starvations and exodus… He is now embarking on the discovery of pristine territories, of the wild fauna and flora, of grandiose landscapes: a huge photographic project which is a tribute to the planet's beauty. Salgado's life and work are revealed to us by his son, Juliano, who went with him during his last journeys, and by Wim Wenders, a photographer himself.
Perfect DaysPerfect Days · 2023
Perfect Days
★ 7.82023
MovieDrama
Hirayama is content with his life as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. Outside of his structured routine, he cherishes music on cassette tapes, books, and taking photos of trees. Through unexpected encounters, he reflects on finding beauty in the world.
Wings of DesireWings of Desire · 1987
Wings of Desire
★ 7.81987
MovieDramaFantasy
Two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, glide through the streets of Berlin, observing the bustling population, providing invisible rays of hope to the distressed but never interacting with them. When Damiel falls in love with lonely trapeze artist Marion, the angel longs to experience life in the physical world, and finds — with some words of wisdom from actor Peter Falk — that it might be possible for him to take human form.
Alice in the CitiesAlice in the Cities · 1974
Alice in the Cities
★ 7.71974
MovieDrama
German journalist Philip Winter has a case of writer’s block when trying to write an article about the United States. He decides to return to Germany, and while trying to book a flight, encounters a German woman and her nine year old daughter Alice doing the same. The three become friends (almost out of necessity) and while the mother asks Winter to mind Alice temporarily, it quickly becomes apparent that Alice will be his responsibility for longer than he expected.
The BluesThe Blues · 2003
The Blues
★ 7.52003
SeriesDocumentary
The Blues (2003) is a seven-part documentary series produced by Martin Scorsese that explores the history and influence of blues music. Each episode, directed by a different filmmaker, traces a unique aspect of the genre’s evolution—from its African roots to its global impact. Originally airing on PBS, the series includes Scorsese’s Feel Like Going Home, Wim Wenders’ The Soul of a Man, Richard Pearce’s The Road to Memphis, Charles Burnett’s Warming by the Devil’s Fire, Marc Levin’s Godfathers and Sons, Mike Figgis’ Red, White and Blues, and Clint Eastwood’s Piano Blues.
Songs of EarthSongs of Earth · 2023
Songs of Earth
★ 7.32023
MovieDocumentary
With Olin's 85-year-old father as guide, we experience Norway's most adventurous valley, Oldedalen in Nordfjord. He grew up here, and here generations before him have lived in balance with nature.
Stories We TellStories We Tell · 2012
Stories We Tell
★ 7.12012
MovieDocumentary
Canadian actress and filmmaker Sarah Polley investigates certain secrets related to her mother, interviewing a group of family members and friends whose reliability varies depending on their implication in the events, which are remembered in different ways; so a trail of questions remains to be answered, because memory is always changing and the discovery of truth often depends on who is telling the tale.
The American FriendThe American Friend · 1977
The American Friend
★ 7.11977
MovieDramaThriller
Tom Ripley, an American who deals in forged art, is slighted at an auction in Hamburg by picture framer Jonathan Zimmerman. When Ripley is asked by gangster Raoul Minot to kill a rival, he suggests Zimmerman, and the two, exploiting Zimmerman's terminal illness, coerce him into being a hitman.
ChocolatChocolat · 1988
Chocolat
★ 6.91988
MovieDrama
On her way to visit her childhood home in a colonial outpost in Northern Cameroon, a young French woman recalls her childhood, her memories concentrating on her family's houseboy.
Faraway, So Close!Faraway, So Close! · 1993
Faraway, So Close!
★ 6.91993
MovieDramaFantasy
A group of angels look longingly upon the life of humans. Berlin now is a very different place: unified in name but overrun with crime, corruption, and—in what turns out to be a key theme here—Americans.
City of AngelsCity of Angels · 1998
City of Angels
★ 6.81998
MovieDramaFantasy
When a guardian angel – who invisibly watches over the citizens of Los Angeles – becomes captivated by a strong-willed heart surgeon, he ponders trading in his pure, otherworldly existence for a mortal life with his beloved. The couple embarks on a tender but forbidden romance spanning heaven and Earth.
Until the End of the WorldUntil the End of the World · 1991
Until the End of the World
★ 6.71991
MovieDramaScience Fiction
In 1999, a woman's life is forever changed after she survives a car crash with two bank robbers, who enlist her help to take the money to a drop in Paris. On the way, she runs into another fugitive from the law — an American doctor on the run from the CIA. They want to confiscate his father's invention – a device which allows anyone to record their dreams and visions.
Lumière & CompanyLumière & Company · 1995
Lumière & Company
★ 6.41995
MovieDramaDocumentary
40 international directors were asked to make a short film using the original Cinematographe invented by the Lumière Brothers, working under conditions similar to those of 1895. There were three rules: (1) The film could be no longer than 52 seconds, (2) no synchronized sound was permitted, and (3) no more than three takes.
HammettHammett · 1982
Hammett
★ 6.21982
MovieDramaThriller
Chinatown, San Francisco, 1928. Former private detective Dashiell Hammett, a compulsive drinker with tuberculosis who writes pulp fiction for a living, receives an unexpected visit from an old friend asking for help.
Don't Come KnockingDon't Come Knocking · 2005
Don't Come Knocking
★ 6.22005
MovieDramaWestern
Howard Spence has seen better days. Once a big Western movie star, he now drowns his disgust for his selfish and failed life with alcohol, drugs and young women. If he were to die now, nobody would shed a tear over him, that's the sad truth. Until one day Howard learns that he might have a child somewhere out there...

More Like This

The CommitmentsThe Commitments · 1991
The Commitments
★ 7.31991
MovieComedyDrama
Jimmy Rabbitte, just a thick-ya out of school, gets a brilliant idea: to put a soul band together in Barrytown, his slum home in north Dublin. First he needs musicians and singers: things slowly start to click when he finds three fine-voiced females virtually in his back yard, a lead singer (Deco) at a wedding, and, responding to his ad, an aging trumpet player, Joey "The Lips" Fagan.
Metallica: Some Kind of MonsterMetallica: Some Kind of Monster · 2004
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
★ 7.12004
MovieDocumentaryMusic
After bassist Jason Newsted quits the band in 2001, heavy metal superstars Metallica realize that they need an intervention. In this revealing documentary, filmmakers follow the three rock stars as they hire a group therapist and grapple with 20 years of repressed anger and aggression. Between searching for a replacement bass player, creating a new album and confronting their personal demons, the band learns to open up in ways they never thought possible.
Leningrad Cowboys Go AmericaLeningrad Cowboys Go America · 1989
Leningrad Cowboys Go America
★ 6.91989
MovieComedyMusic
The Leningrad Cowboys, a group of Siberian musicians, and their manager, travel to America seeking fame and fortune. As they cross the country, trying to get to a wedding in Mexico, they are followed by the village idiot, who wishes to join the band.
BanditsBandits · 1997
Bandits
★ 6.01997
MovieDramaMusic
Four female cons who have formed a band in prison get a chance to play at a police ball outside the walls. They take the chance to escape. Being on the run from the law they even make it to sell their music and become famous outlaws.
You, the LivingYou, the Living · 2007
You, the Living
★ 7.12007
MovieDramaComedy
In the Swedish city of Lethe, people from different walks of life take part in a series of short, deadpan vignettes that rush past. Some are just seconds long, none longer than a couple of minutes. A young woman remembers a fantasy honeymoon with a rock guitarist. A man awakes from a dream about bomber planes. A businessman boasts about success while being robbed by a pickpocket, and so on. The absurdist collection is accompanied by Dixieland jazz and similar music.
OnceOnce · 2007
Once
★ 7.42007
MovieDramaMusic
A vacuum repairman moonlights as a street musician and hopes for his big break. One day a Czech immigrant, who earns a living selling flowers, approaches him with the news that she is also an aspiring singer-songwriter. The pair decide to collaborate, and the songs that they compose reflect the story of their blossoming love.

More on MaxSee all →

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone · 2001
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
★ 7.92001
MovieAdventureFantasy
Harry Potter has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house his whole life. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he's a powerful wizard—with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he learns to harness his newfound powers with the help of the school's kindly headmaster, Harry uncovers the truth about his parents' deaths—and about the villain who's to blame.
The BatmanThe Batman · 2022
The Batman
★ 7.72022
MovieCrimeMystery
In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the KingThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King · 2003
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
★ 8.52003
MovieAdventureFantasy
As armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome--one member of the Fellowship of the Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne of the Kings of Men. Yet, the sole hope for triumph over evil lies with a brave hobbit, Frodo, who, accompanied by his loyal friend Sam and the hideous, wretched Gollum, ventures deep into the very dark heart of Mordor on his seemingly impossible quest to destroy the Ring of Power.​
InterstellarInterstellar · 2014
Interstellar
★ 8.52014
MovieAdventureDrama
The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
Dune: Part TwoDune: Part Two · 2024
Dune: Part Two
★ 8.12024
MovieScience FictionAdventure
Follow the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, Paul endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.
SupergirlSupergirl · 2026
Supergirl
★ 6.72026
MovieActionAdventure
When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.
InceptionInception · 2010
Inception
★ 8.42010
MovieActionScience Fiction
Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire · 2005
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
★ 7.82005
MovieAdventureFantasy
When his name emerges from the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter becomes a competitor in a grueling battle for glory among three wizarding schools. Signs of Voldemort's return emerge as Harry's friends help him prepare for the Triwizard Tournament.
DuneDune · 2021
Dune
★ 7.82021
MovieScience FictionAdventure
Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence - a commodity capable of unlocking humanity's greatest potential - only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban · 2004
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
★ 8.02004
MovieAdventureFantasy
Harry Potter's life is in danger once more as dangerous wizard Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban Prison and is heading to Hogwarts.
The Dark KnightThe Dark Knight · 2008
The Dark Knight
★ 8.52008
MovieActionThriller
Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets · 2002
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
★ 7.72002
MovieAdventureFantasy
Cars fly, trees fight back, and a mysterious house-elf comes to warn Harry Potter at the start of his second year at Hogwarts. Adventure and danger await when bloody writing on a wall announces: The Chamber Of Secrets Has Been Opened. To save Hogwarts will require all of Harry, Ron and Hermione's magical abilities and courage.
The MatrixThe Matrix · 1999
The Matrix
★ 8.31999
MovieActionScience Fiction
Set in the 22nd century, The Matrix tells the story of a computer hacker who joins a group of underground insurgents fighting the vast and powerful computers who now rule the earth.
The Dark Knight RisesThe Dark Knight Rises · 2012
The Dark Knight Rises
★ 7.82012
MovieActionCrime
Following the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman assumes responsibility for Dent's crimes to protect the late attorney's reputation and is subsequently hunted by the Gotham City Police Department. Eight years later, Batman encounters the mysterious Selina Kyle and the villainous Bane, a new terrorist leader who overwhelms Gotham's finest. The Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.
The Suicide SquadThe Suicide Squad · 2021
The Suicide Squad
★ 7.42021
MovieActionComedy
Supervillains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker and a collection of nutty cons at Belle Reve prison join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X as they are dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese.
A Minecraft MovieA Minecraft Movie · 2025
A Minecraft Movie
★ 6.22025
MovieFamilyFantasy
Four misfits find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they'll have to master this world while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve.
Mortal Kombat IIMortal Kombat II · 2026
Mortal Kombat II
★ 7.82026
MovieActionFantasy
The fan favorite champions—now joined by Johnny Cage himself—are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 · 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
★ 8.12011
MovieAdventureFantasy
Harry, Ron and Hermione continue their quest to vanquish the evil Voldemort once and for all. Just as things begin to look hopeless for the young wizards, Harry discovers a trio of magical objects that endow him with powers to rival Voldemort's formidable skills.
Ocean's ElevenOcean's Eleven · 2001
Ocean's Eleven
★ 7.52001
MovieThrillerCrime
Less than 24 hours into his parole, charismatic thief Danny Ocean is already rolling out his next plan: In one night, Danny's hand-picked crew of specialists will attempt to steal more than $150 million from three Las Vegas casinos. But to score the cash, Danny risks his chances of reconciling with ex-wife, Tess.
SupermanSuperman · 2025
Superman
★ 7.32025
MovieScience FictionAdventure
Superman, a journalist in Metropolis, embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter