A sequel to Buena Vista Social Club, the Oscar-nominated documentary which examined attempts by the American guitarist Ry Cooder to bring together an ensemble of legendary Cuban musicians, is to move into production.
Titled Buena Vista Social Club – Adios, the new film will be directed by Lucy Walker, replacing the original’s Wim Wenders. It will document the personal and professional highs and lows of the five remaining original band members since their 1999 reunion tour, focusing on a new series of homecoming concerts in Havana.
The Buena Vista Social Club concept was named after a Havana members’ club that closed in 1940. It was initially revived as a collaboration between Cooder and the Cuban bandleader Juan de Marcos González, and the pair summoned a number of celebrated musicians to record an album in just six days. It became a global phenomenon and led to live performances in Amsterdam and at New York’s Carnegie Hall, where footage was captured for Wenders’ film. The 1999 documentary, which also featured interviews with the main performers, grossed a remarkable $23m worldwide.
Walker’s celebrated documentary Waste Land, about an artist who travels to the world’s largest landfill in Rio de Janeiro to gather material for a contemporary art project, was also nominated for an Oscar for best documentary, in 2011.
Buena Vista Social Club – Adios is due to shoot in July, according to Variety. The film is being put together by the Los Angeles-based film production and distribution firm Broad Green and London-based production company Mister Smith and will be touted to prospective buyers at the Cannes film festival later in May.
